


Assorted Memories

by TheRisu



Category: Akira (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Drabble Collection, F/M, Fan Characters, Grief/Mourning, Implied Reincarnation, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Minor Violence, Movie continuity, Other, Years Later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-18 05:59:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 20,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16989360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRisu/pseuds/TheRisu
Summary: A bunch of drabbles I've posted on my Tumblr blog and figured I could upload over here as well. Some of them are general Akira stuff from requests and the like, but the majority takes place in the same setting than my previous short fic 'Tetsuo' (conveniently named tetsuoverse), so I recommend reading it for a better understanding of those. Tags shall be updated accordingly.





	1. Tetsuo and Kaori have a Moment

**Author's Note:**

> Do you ever wonder about Tetsuo and Kaori's relationship in the film because I do.

“Am I scaring you?”

Kaori blinked.

She could no longer remember what she had been staring at. Maybe the sky. Maybe the ground. Maybe nothing in particular.

“Huh…?” she replied, slowly turning back to him “Tetsuo, what… What do you mean?”

Tetsuo was already looking at her, and frowning slightly.

“What do you _think_?” he said, a little too sharply, and then promptly looked away “I saw your face… earlier…”

Kaori blinked again, this time in realization, and looked away herself.

She didn’t think he would actually address it. She didn’t even think he had noticed how terrified she had been. How much it had affected her.

She had been warned about it before. She had heard enough about how cruel boys could be, and could confirm it from her own past experiences. She just never expected Tetsuo of all people to show it, and in _such_ way.

She could still see him brandishing that rusty pipe, swinging it from one side to the other, splattering the walls…

But none of that had been as utterly unnerving as his _satisfied_ expression.

Which quickly changed when he finally met hers.

It shouldn’t have happened. It wasn’t meant to.

“I’m sorry…” he muttered, burying his face into his folded arms “I’m a piece of shit, I know…”

Then Kaori turned again, now looking at him in a more concerned, but also hesitant manner.

“That’s not true…” she said, her hand waveringly reaching for his “Tetsuo… Why don’t you just leave it? Why don’t you just leave the gang?”

And she knew he would react strongly. She knew he would jolt up and away from her reach, and still flinched when he did so.

“Leave it? _Leave it?_ ” he barked, already making her regret “We’re like _brothers_ , Kaori! They were there for me when nobody else was, they kept putting up with me when they could have ditched me, I can’t just leave them! I… I…”

_I would be nothing without them._

But he didn’t admit it.

He just sighed and tiredly raised his receding hand to run it through his hair.

“Forget it, you wouldn’t understand…” he grumbled.

And that was the end of the discussion.

Or rather, that would have been the end of the discussion if Kaori didn’t decide to keep trying, because she couldn’t take it anymore.

“You’re right, I wouldn’t.” she said.

As firmly as she could manage, which wasn’t much.

But it was something.

“But I know one thing, and you can’t… you can’t tell me I’m wrong, Tetsuo!” she continued, as he could only frown in bewilderment “You don’t like this, you don’t like any of this. You’re just doing it because… because they do it too, and you want to stick with them, because they’re your friends…”

Then he looked away, yet again.

“But if they’re your friends…” whimpered Kaori, leaning forward, trying to reach him, yet again “Wouldn’t they be okay with it? If you told them you don’t want to… _be_ this anymore, wouldn’t they accept it? Isn’t that what friends do?”

Tetsuo was shaking. Struggling with what to answer. Afraid of lashing out at her again.

It wasn’t fair. She didn’t deserve it. Since the very first moment, she had always been the one who cared the most.

Or at least the one who seemed to care the most.

It wasn’t fair.

It really wasn’t.

“Why do you… _do this to me_ , Kaori…?”

Kaori clasped her hands together, in an even more concerned gesture.

“Why do I do…”

“Why do you keep coming to me like this?” he continued, his tone faltering “I’ve been nothing but a _dick_ to you, I _never_ listen to you, I just… push you aside… _Why?_ ”

“Because you’re hurting.”

Then his eyes widened.

Kaori was still looking at him, but her frightened demeanor had cooled down, into a more saddened one.

“Do you still remember what it was like? When we met?” she said, smiling wistfully “You helped me too. You worried about me too. But I was too hurt to help you back, remember? And that’s why… That’s why I’m doing it now. Because now you’re too hurt…”

And he was still so surprised by all of this, so paralyzed, that she reached him. At long last.

And now that her fingers were perfectly interlaced with his, she was starting to feel a little better.

Even if she was still pretty sad.

“I know you’re _not_ acting like this because you like it, Tetsuo…”

Tetsuo welcomed the warmth of her grip, and squeezed in response.

Now he was looking pretty sad himself.

“So stop it… Please, _please_ stop it. I can’t keep seeing you like this, because I… I…”

Then she stopped, as he proceeded to brush some strands of hair off her face with his free hand.

“I’m sorry, Kaori…” he replied, almost brokenly “I’m sorry…”

And now his hand was resting on her cheek, with that daring tenderness no one would ever witness.

It meant so much for her, but it was so painful at the same time.

If only he wasn’t so afraid. If only _she_ wasn’t so afraid, then maybe…

Maybe she could inspire him. Maybe she could actually help him.

Maybe she could actually believe her own words, she thought, as that terrifying, satisfied expression flashed by once more.

“No, Tetsuo… _I’m_ sorry…” she said, now also holding the hand on her cheek, and gently caressing it.

It felt rough, but she didn’t mind. She had never.


	2. Screw You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ten-year-olds getting angsty.

“Would you just hold still?”

“No. Screw you.”

Kaneda frowned, and reached out to slap Tetsuo.

Tetsuo frowned, and tried to slap him back, but Kaneda knew him well enough to grab his hand before giving him the chance, and then pull him closer to finally stick the band-aid on his knee.

Tetsuo groaned frustratedly and took advantage of the shortened distance to push Kaneda, almost managing to knock him down.

“You’re welcome!” he shouted, angrily, as Tetsuo turned and began to storm off “Oh _no_ , you get your ass back here!”

“ _Screw you!_ ” repeated Tetsuo, with the intensity of someone who was ready to learn bigger words.

Kaneda sprinted in his direction and caught up with him rather easily, even when he tried to sprint away himself, and that only bothered him more.

“Let go!” he whined, as Kaneda rushed to restrain him from behind “Leave me alone!”

“Not until you tell me what’s wrong!” he replied, holding him tight “Seriously, Tetsuo, what the _heck_ is your problem!? You’ve been snapping at me all day!”

“Because it’s _you_! You are my problem!” replied, in turn, Tetsuo, still struggling against his stubborn grip.

And Kaneda still couldn’t understand what that meant.

“I just don’t get it…” he said, a confused and almost pained tone emerging as he did so “What did I even do? Just… Just tell me that, and I’ll let you go. Promise.”

“………..”

Then Tetsuo stopped struggling.

And got even more upset, but it no longer showed in his actions.

“ _Save me._ ”

Kaneda blinked, getting even more confused himself, but still did as promised and released him.

But Tetsuo didn’t run away, as expected. He gloomily sat on a rock instead.

And then Kaneda realized.

He was talking about what had happened earlier, when someone’s baseball got stuck in a tree, and he did his best to retrieve it.

But failed.

And would have fallen over and gotten badly hurt if Kaneda wasn’t there to catch him.

If Kaneda wasn’t there to save him.

Again.

“Tetsuo…”

“There. Are you happy now?”

No.

Kaneda wasn’t.

He was actually frowning again.

“What was I supposed to do? Let you get your head bashed into the ground?”

“ _Maybe_.” growled Tetsuo “Maybe you _could_ have done that.”

“Well, _too bad_.” replied Kaneda, as sharply “That’s not what friends do.”

And Tetsuo hated it.

Tetsuo hated how much he cared. Tetsuo hated how genuinely good his intentions were.

But, most importantly, Tetsuo hated himself for still getting upset at him, even while knowing that.

It wasn’t Kaneda’s fault.

It truly wasn’t Kaneda’s fault.

Maybe he was a bit of a jerk sometimes, but still…

“Look…” he continued, approaching to take a seat next to him “If it’ll make you feel better, I won’t save you anymore. I’ll let you hit your head, scrape your knees, lose teeth, and when you come at me crying… I’m gonna tell you to buzz off and deal with it by yourself. Okay?”

And _there it was_.

“I _won’t_ come at you crying.” scowled Tetsuo, clenching his little hands into fists.

“ _Good_ , because I _wouldn’t_ do anything about it anyway.” replied Kaneda.

“ _Good._ ” repeated Tetsuo, as if reaffirming.

“ _Very good._ ” continued Kaneda, as if wanting to have the last word.

“Now get out of here.” continued, in turn, Tetsuo.

“Why me? _You_ get out of here, punk.” replied Kaneda, now with a more taunting tone.

“Because I got here first, and I wanna stay here.” stated Tetsuo, still taking the situation very seriously “And you just wanna make me mad, and I’m tired.”

“Not fair, is it?” jeered Kaneda “Just like not letting me be your friend. That isn’t fair either.”

Then Tetsuo stood up.

“Fine. I’ll get out. You win _this one_ too.”

And he effectively left, although not as quickly as he had tried to before.

Kaneda could have reached him again, but he just watched him walk away this time.

Still wondering what all of that meant.


	3. Kaneda gets Socked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twelve-year-olds getting angsty.

“Quit it or I’ll bite.” threatened Tetsuo, as Kaneda continued wrapping his arms around his neck in the most obnoxious manner.

Or so he thought.

“Oh, you wouldn’t _dare_.” scoffed Kaneda, now resting his chin on Tetsuo’s shoulder, making his hair bristle.

Tetsuo frowned, opened his mouth…

…and ended up licking one of Kaneda’s arms instead.

“Eugh! Gross!” he laughed, pushing him away “That’s gross, you’re gross!”

Tetsuo stuck his tongue out with a bit of a triumphant smirk, and then switched back to the unamused face.

“Next time I’m gonna bite though.” he stated, and Kaneda scoffed again.

“That’s what you _always_ say.” he replied, now crossing his arms behind his head “Next time I’m gonna, next time I’m gonna, next time I’m gonna…”

“Shut it! I mean it this time!” insisted Tetsuo, blood boiling in shame beneath his cheeks.

Kaneda shrugged, eyes half closed.

“Sure, whatever you say, champ.”

And that was so _positively_ , _definitely_ obnoxious of him.

Tetsuo tensed up for a second, inhaling sharply…

…but then exhaling wearily, with a hand on his forehead.

“What the _fuck_ is up with you, Kaneda?” he inquired, more calmly but still sullenly “You know we’re not nine anymore, right? You know acting like a jackass doesn’t make you look cool anymore, right?”

And that actually made Kaneda jolt up, and frown.

And Tetsuo noticed.

Tetsuo noticed and smirked again, now more evidently, more bitterly.

But still triumphantly to some degree.

“You just keep pissing me off, thinking _nothing_ will happen…” he continued “And you wanna know why? You wanna know why I haven’t socked you _yet_? It’s not because I can’t, it’s because I _don’t want_ to. Because I…”

Then he paused.

It was complicated. What he was feeling, what he was saying, it was all very complicated. He couldn’t even believe he had managed to let some of it out.

“Then sock me.”

Then he blinked in sudden surprise.

Kaneda had lowered his arms, and was still looking at him. Somewhat defiantly.

“What…?”

“If you’re so pissed off, do it.” he said “Sock me. Now.”

Tetsuo was quivering, gritting his teeth.

What was he doing? Where was he going with this?

Was it a trap? Or a test? Would he defend himself? Would he not?

Tetsuo couldn’t tell.

“Do it, you _barking bitch_!” snapped Kaneda, and that was more than enough to set him off.

The punch was delivered rapidly and rather accurately, almost knocking him down.

And Kaneda couldn’t be more proud.

Tetsuo was breathing agitatedly, almost sobbing, almost wincing at the traces of blood around Kaneda’s nose, and on his knuckles.

He wasn’t angry.

Or at least, he wasn’t as angry as it seemed.

“Fucking _hell_ …” mumbled Kaneda, idly wiping the mess off his face, smiling “That was good, that was _very_ good…”

Tetsuo was still a little frozen when he approached to pat his shoulder.

“So?” he continued “Feeling better now?”

Tetsuo sobbed more blatantly, and frowned.

“ _Yes!_ ” he replied, pushing him.

And Kaneda knew he was lying.

Kaneda had always known how hard it would be.

But he had to do it. He had to keep toughening him up, because that was just how life was.

And maybe one day he wouldn’t be around anymore, and Tetsuo would have to stand up to it by himself.

It was horrible to think about, but still possible.

Still awfully possible.


	4. The Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuoverse. Some Kaneda and Makiko idle chatter.

“Mister Kaneda…?”

Kaneda sighed briefly. It would take him forever to get used to that formality.

“Yeah…?”

Makiko kept staring at the sky for another minute, and then turned to him.

“How far is the moon?”

Kaneda blinked, scratching a temple.

“The _what now_?”

“The moon.” repeated Makiko, rather earnestly “How far is it?”

And Kaneda could only squint, and raise his head to actually look at it.

“Uuuhh… I’m not sure, but I think it’s _pretty_ far.” he replied, then looking back at her “Why?”

“Can you get to it on a plane?” continued Makiko, leaning forward.

“I don’t think so, no… We already would have cities up there if it was that easy. You’d have to get a spaceship.” stated Kaneda, and she seemed to ponder a little before asking again.

“And where can you get a spaceship?”

“Do you want to go to the moon, Makiko?”

Makiko shrank and looked away, seemingly embarrassed by Kaneda’s smirk.

“Hey, nothing wrong with that!” he added “It looks nice enough, I’d like to visit it too. Maybe we could go together someday.”

She was fiddling with a strand of her hair.

“…Really?”

“Really.” assured Kaneda, putting a hand on her head “We’re gonna go on a vacation.”

“What about Mister Kaisuke and Miss Kei though…?”

“They’re coming too. We all need it, this city sucks.”

Then Makiko tilted her head.

“If it sucks… why don’t you leave?” she inquired, with a slightly concerned tone.

And Kaneda sighed deeply.

“Because Kei would rather stay and do everything she can to make it better than just leave it.” he explained “And I believe in her, and so does Kai, so we help her when we can.”

Even though they had their doubts, and they had been starting to become more frequent.

“That’s so nice of her…” mused Makiko, with a clear hint of admiration “I would have left…”

“To the moon?” smiled Kaneda, and she looked down.

“Not anymore though…” she muttered.

“Well, that’s good.” he replied “I wouldn’t know what to do without you.”

Then she looked back at him.

“…Really?”

And he gently ruffled her hair.

“Really.”


	5. Kai is a Dork

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But so is Yamagata.

“Sorry isn’t going to help when I kick your ass!”

“………………”

Yamagata did his best to keep a straight face, but ended up failing and snickering, even despite Kai’s accomplished smirk after delivering the line.

“Pretty slick, huh?” he said, crossing his arms, and Yamagata just shook his head.

“You’re so _fucking adorable_ …” he mumbled, not in a complimenting manner but a rather derisive one.

“And that’s so fucking nice of you.” replied Kai, still smirking, and knowing full well what he actually meant, but not caring about it.

“Forget it, man, forget it.” continued Yamagata, upon deciding to ignore that “You’re not cut out for this.”

“I know!” grinned Kai, clenching his fists excitedly “And that’s why it’s gonna be so fun! Just the whole challenge of it, doesn’t it sound fun?”

“You fucking kid…” scoffed Yamagata, resuming his walk through the filthy street “Do you even know how to ride a bike?”

“Actually yeah, from my last part-time.” replied Kai, quickly following him and still radiating confidence “How else did you think I was paying for all the booze?”

Yamagata was entering an alleyway, and raising an eyebrow at him.

“Does your dad even know about that?” he asked, not with concern but rather out of curiosity.

“Of course he doesn’t.” assured Kai, his smirk reappearing “As far as he knows, that’d been covering college savings.”

Then Yamagata snickered again, as they entered an alleyway and he leisurely reached into one of his pockets.

“Whoa, okay, I take it back.” he said, with a still present hint of sarcasm “You’re an _animal_ , you’re gonna be right at home on the road.”

And then Kai finally stopped smiling, his features shifting into a more pensive, more melancholic expression.

“Anywhere but home feels like home to me…” he mused, while climbing up a dumpster to then sit on it “But more so when I’m with you…”

Yamagata had already taken and lit a cigarette, and was now giving him an intrigued look.

“ _Me_ …?”

Kai blinked in realization, and scoffed.

“Not just you! You, Kaneda, Tetsuo… you know, all of you guys!” he said, almost sliding back into his confident demeanor “You _wish_ you were _that_ special…”

But Yamagata could tell he was hiding something. He had known him for long enough.

Yet, he decided to respect him and not pry.

“Well, if you say you can handle a bike…” he said, taking another cigarette and passing it to him “That should be a good start, at least.”

“I’m not gonna straggle, I swear.” replied Kai, receiving it and also receiving the lighter “Swear on this smoke.”

“Sounds fair enough to me.” nodded Yamagata, taking a drag “The tie has to go though.”

And Kai frowned, but only a little.

“Hey, if Tetsuo can stay then so can the tie.” he stated, making Yamagata let out a full-fledged guffaw.

“Kaneda’s gonna beat the crap out of you so bad!” he exclaimed, as Kai couldn’t help laughing himself.

“ _I’m_ gonna beat the crap out of you if he finds out, so keep your mouth shut!” he replied.


	6. A Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuoverse. Makiko learns some interesting things and lets Kei know.

There was a park.

There were slides. Seesaws. A swingset. A merry-go-round.

There were trees, displaying the softest shades of a minty green. There were pink clouds hovering above, resembling cotton candy.

And Kei could already tell this wasn’t her own mindscape, because it was too peaceful.

And too infantile.

And that was enough for her to guess who it actually belonged to, even before spotting her small figure sitting on one of the swings, creating a stark contrast between her vividly red coat and the more pale colors of her surroundings.

“Makiko…”

Makiko didn’t turn. She just kept waiting, facing an uncertain horizon.

Kei sighed quietly, and approached.

“Hello, Kei...” replied the child, as soon as she got sufficiently close.

And she was smiling.

But it was still a melancholic smile. A bashful smile.

Kei sat on the other swing, as if invited. As if compelled.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to call you so late…” continued Makiko, then turning “I was just thinking about you, and then you just came…”

Kei seemed to observe her just a little warily.

Just a little.

“It must be difficult.” she said.

“Oh, don’t worry!” replied Makiko “I don’t want to hurt you anymore.”

Kei squinted.

But just a little.

“What is it, then?” she inquired “Do you want to talk?”

Makiko nodded, and looked at the ground as her swing began to oscillate idly.

“I already know what I have to do…” she said.

Kei raised an eyebrow.

“Is that so?” she replied, with a noticeably intrigued tone.

The child nodded again.

“It was my past life…” she continued “My past life told me… Do you know about past lives?”

Then Kei nodded.

“More or less, yes.” she replied “A soul can go through countless bodies, countless existences. It’s like recycling.”

Then Makiko’s smile seemed to broaden a bit for a second, before suddenly fading away.

“But when you recycle something…” she mused “It’s not worn out anymore, right? It gets fixed, it gets turned into something else… something you can use like it’s new, like it was never worn out…”

Kei paused to observe her, once again.

She had turned back to her.

“I have to help him… I don’t know what happened to him, but I have to help him… maybe that’ll fix it… maybe…”

“Kaneda?” supposed Kei.

“K… _Kaneda_ …” repeated Makiko, hesitantly.

It felt so strange.

It felt so strange to say it like that, without formality.

But he was her friend, wasn’t he? He was her friend…

“I don’t care if it doesn’t, though…” she continued “Sometimes things get a little shabby and you can still use them, right? It’s… it’s nothing…”

Kei frowned. She wasn’t sure of that.

Yet, she decided to go for the comforting alternative.

“You’ll be fine. You’re definitely looking better.”

It was what Kaneda would have done, and thus perhaps what the child was expecting.

“I hope so…” she muttered.

But something wasn’t right.

Because Kei could already understand. Kei was already becoming fully aware of what all of this was about, and something wasn’t adding up.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to ramble.” resumed Makiko “I just wanted to tell you that I’ll do my best to look after Mister Kaneda. I know you care about him a lot, and Mister Kaisuke cares about him a lot too, and I _have to_. I had to find him, because I _have to_ … and I care too…”

Kei blinked, and looked back at her.

“Makiko… Makiko, you don’t have…”

“But I _can_ do it!” exclaimed Makiko, suddenly smiling again “I used to think it was scary, but Lady Sakaki said… Lady Sakaki said that it’s a gift, and that I should be proud… and I can do it… I can do it, I can _save_ …”

“Patience.” interrupted Kei, putting a placating hand on her head “Master it first. Then save whoever you want.”

Which naturally made the child deflate.

“I know, I know…” she replied, pouting slightly “I meant like, _someday_ …”

Then Kei actually smiled.

Not very visibly, not very brightly, but still.

It was there. A genuine smile.

“Well, then we would appreciate it. Just as long as you don’t strain yourself, and take your time. We care about _you_ too, you know?”

And that seemed to surprise Makiko, also pretty genuinely.

“You do…?”

“Of course.” confirmed Kei “You’re part of us, and we got each other’s backs.”

And now both of them were smiling, and swinging with a passing breeze, as Makiko looked back at the uncertain horizon.

“Thank you…” she muttered.

But even after that nicely wrapped closure, Kei was still wondering.

Still wondering _who_ , _what_ this child was.

Because something wasn’t right.

Something wasn’t right, and she would find out what. She would get to the bottom of it.

Somehow.


	7. Something Happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuoverse. The family has a little picnic.

“Alright, are you ready?” teased Kai, opening the basket and beginning to pull out the bento boxes, one by one “Bam!”

Each had a distinctive color, but all of them contained pretty much the same. Boiled soybeans, fried chicken, rice balls, and of course tamagoyaki.

“This looks great, Kai.” smiled Kei, reaching for a pair of chopsticks “Did you make it all by yourself?”

“Oh no, Makiko did! I just helped.” replied Kai, and Makiko shrank bashfully.

“That’s not true, I was the one who was helping…” she said, smiling in a rather embarrassed manner, and fiddling with another pair of chopsticks she had just taken herself.

“Okay, then both of us did.” concluded Kai, crossing his arms with a triumphant grin “It was teamwork!”

“It was teamwork.” assented Makiko, with an earnest nod.

“Finally some homemade fucking food…” sighed Kaneda, already shoving a piece of fried chicken into his mouth.

“I missed you too, Kaneda, I missed you too.” chuckled Kai, now pulling out a bottle of beer for them, and a bottle of melon soda for Kei and Makiko.

“This place is really nice…” observed Kei, while taking a good look at the nearby stream and the surrounding greenery “I wish I could have come earlier…”

“Well, better late than never! Right?” said Kai, and Makiko nodded again, her smile now showing more ease.

“It gets boring after a while, though.” intervened Kaneda, pouring some beer into his cup “I mean, you guys feel this way because it’s your first time here. You wouldn’t believe how slow shit gets after weeks and weeks of _nothing_ happening, _ever_ … And the _cicadas_! My _god_ , the _fucking cicadas_ …”

“I like the cicadas…” muttered Makiko, almost hanging her head in shame, but deciding to eat a rice ball instead.

“So…” said Kei, to then pause and clear her throat, as if requiring extreme clarity for the following statement “Let me get this straight. You _don’t_ like peace and quiet?”

“We grew up in the gutter, Kei, of course we’re gonna be used to the gutter.” replied Kai, a little jokingly but a little seriously as well.

“It’s just hard to adjust…” continued Kaneda, finishing the cup and then taking another piece of fried chicken “But Makiko’s having a good time, so it doesn’t bug me _that_ much.”

“Then stop complaining and live in the moment.” snarked Kei, taking a piece of tamagoyaki herself, as Makiko ended up succumbing to hanging her head in shame.

“ _Whoa_ , Kei…” smirked Kaneda “Is it just me or you’ve been hanging out with Kai for too long?”

“We live together, it’s kind of inevitable.” said Kai, smirking in return as he took a sip from his own cup.

“But it’s definitely not the same without you.” clarified Kei, a bit more softly, and smiling again.

“ _Wonderful_.” replied Kaneda “That’s what you get for taking me for granted.”

“We won’t make that mistake again, we promise!” exclaimed Kai, clasping his hands together “We love you, Kaneda!”

“I love you too, Mister Kaneda!” added Makiko, sweatdropping confusedly, still not quite grasping that particular brand of messing around.

Maybe she would always be too innocent for it.

“I don’t deserve any of you…” snickered Kaneda, almost under his breath, and gulping down another cup.

“But here we are anyway, so deal with it.” stated Kei, and Kai nodded.

“I’ll drink to that.” he said, then mockingly doing so with his cup.

“Can I drink to that too?” asked Makiko, even though she wasn’t sure of what that meant either, but at least figured that it had something to do with agreeing.

“Of course!” approved Kai, glancing at both her and Kei “Everybody should drink for Kaneda!”

“Very well!” replied Kei, somewhat ceremoniously, to then fill the two remaining cups with lemon soda and take one “For Kaneda!”

“For Kaneda!” reaffirmed Kai, upon quickly refilling and raising his own.

“For Mister Kaneda!” chimed Makiko, with the brightest smile so far, as she managed to raise hers without touching it.

And they toasted him. They actually toasted Kaneda.

And Kaneda could only keep snickering, shaking his head.

He truly didn’t deserve them.


	8. Time passes or something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuoverse. More idle chatter, Kaneda and Kai this time.

“So…” said Kaneda, upon taking a thoughtful drag of an almost finished cigarette “He’s leaving for good, huh?”

“Yeah…” replied Kai, then holding out his hand “Pass the ratchet.”

“And he’s leaving you the garage, huh?” continued Kaneda, walking away for a second to get said ratchet, and effectively pass it.

“Yeah.” replied Kai, receiving it to then resume the current task of removing a spark plug, as Kaneda scoffed dryly.

“As if I didn’t work as hard as you!” he said “I mean, okay, I get it, you’re his favorite and all… but don’t you think I deserve at least a bit of the goods? Like, I don’t know, maybe one spare part or two? I mean, I’ve covered some of your shifts and even did overtime, and it _still_ wasn’t enough for that fat bastard?”

“Well, just an idea, but maybe you shouldn’t have kept calling him a fat bastard…” snarked Kai, now holding the spark plug between his fingers and taking a careful look at it “Alright, yeah, we gotta get another one.”

“As if you didn’t keep calling him that yourself!” persisted Kaneda, as Kai reached for the corresponding replacement.

“But I said it to his face like a man.” he teased, now giving Kaneda the removed spark plug “Doesn’t look too bad, maybe we could dust it off…”

“Noted.” nodded Kaneda, leaning forward to take it and then idly examine the bike “Isn’t this something that scamp could just do by himself, though?”

“Honestly yeah, he must be a rookie.” replied Kai “Either that or he’s lazy. Or both.”

“Both, I bet.” asserted Kaneda, now taking the final drag and putting out the cigarette against the ashtray “Man, I can’t believe it… Joker was the last clown left, now they’re extinct…”

“It’s not like he’s dead, Kaneda.” sweatdropped Kai, while screwing the new spark plug in.

“I know, I mean…” clarified Kaneda, running a hand through his hair “ _We_ are kind of extinct too, aren’t we?”

Kai paused pensively.

The ratchet turned one more time, and then he shrugged.

“Maybe? I guess?” he replied “But I’d rather call myself a veteran, not a dinosaur.”

Kaneda snickered.

“Okay, fair enough…” he said, with a bit of a wistful smile “I wonder if these rookies will ever make it as far as us… I mean, probably not, but…”

“But you never know!” beamed Kai “And that’s so exciting! So many things are changing and it’s so weird, and a little scary… but also exciting!”

And it was so refreshing. Like a glimpse of his former, happier self, back when Yamagata was around…

Back when Tetsuo was around…

Back when everything was still a mess, but one they didn’t have to care about.

Kaneda sighed, still smiling.

“I guess you’re gonna help them out as much as you can, root for them and all that…” he said.

“What, _won’t you_?” replied Kai “It’d be almost like raising a kid, like watching your kid grow and stick it to the system!”

“Eeeh… I don’t know, that one scamp was too damn cheeky for my taste.” sneered Kaneda “And I already have enough with Makiko anyway.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot you already have your own bundle of joy…” smirked Kai, getting back up “How’s she doing? It’s been a while since the last time we all visited…”

“She’s fine. Helping out with crops and shit, looking proud of herself…” replied Kaneda, returning to the softer smile, but then immediately sneering again when Kai decided to polish the bike as well “Did he ask you to do _that_ too?”

“Yep.” replied Kai, rather nonchalantly “And already paid for it in advance, so…!”

“Now that’s _definitely_ lazy. You’re raising a _lazy kid_.” stated Kaneda, and he just shrugged again in response.

“Not a problem if he’s paying for it.” he said, still nonchalantly “That’s a good son bringing food to the table.”

Then Kaneda snickered again.

“Fair enough, fair enough…”


	9. Yamagata borrows a Tie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More dorks in love, now with 100% less subtlety.

“Lavender? Plum? Violet? They’re all purple!”

Kai blinked, in an almost deadpan manner, and sighed.

“Alright, fine, I’m picking for you…” he said, then looking carefully at the three ties he was still holding “Plum one. Try the plum one.”

“Gotcha.” replied Yamagata, taking the tie, knowing which one because Kai was handing it over.

Because, to him, they were all still purple.

“I never thought I’d live to see the day you’d get this pimped up.” smirked Kai, even though he was just wearing a dress shirt at the moment, in order to make the tie fit “…You _know_ how to tie it, right?”

“What, doesn’t it look good enough like this?” jeered Yamagata, upon merely draping the tie around his neck.

“No, it doesn’t, you look like a drunk businessman.” jeered, in turn, Kai, to then get closer and start positioning and tying it properly “See, it’s not that hard…”

Yamagata just watched him for a second, his smile becoming a little warmer.

“Thanks, man… Looks like you’ve been doing this for a while, huh?”

“Well, _yeah_ …” chuckled Kai, gesturing towards his own tie “I guess it’s like the bicycle? Like, once you learn you never forget?”

“Where did you get _so many_ though?” inquired Yamagata, glancing back at the pile of ties that were still lying on the bed.

“Some of them were dad’s, some others were birthday presents…” replied Kai, while giving the finishing tug to adjust the tie “…What’s the occasion anyway? I don’t think you told me.”

Yamagata paused for another second.

“Hidemi. She’s getting married.”

“Whoa, _what_!? Really!?” exclaimed Kai, leaning back “With that-”

“That idiot, yeah. Couldn’t do anything about it.” stated Yamagata, switching back to the more scornful smile but briefly, before his expression became more pensive “But she’s happy, and I guess that’s what matters the most…”

“Yeah…” agreed Kai, albeit doubtfully.

He knew how much Yamagata loved his sister, how protective of her he could get.

And how difficult such situation would be for him, even if the guy wasn’t really that bad.

Kai seemed to ponder, to keep those things in consideration, to then speak again.

“This is pretty sweet of you, you know?”

Yamagata blinked.

“Hm? What is…?”

“Getting pimped up for your sister.” clarified Kai, with an almost tender smile “It’s not something you’d do for anyone. Hell, I’m even a little jealous…”

And of course he got smacked for that. But lightly. Teasingly.

Yamagata was chuckling.

“Oooh, _excuse me_ , was that too embarrassing for you?” continued Kai, as the smile turned back into a smirk.

“You’re a fucking dork…” replied Yamagata “You could have just _asked_ for it, instead of giving me all that mixed signals shit.”

“ _What_ mixed signals shit?” huffed Kai, still jokingly “When I said I liked your regular clothes I didn’t mean that I wouldn’t like anything…”

Then he realized, and squinted.

“…Hold on, are you telling me you would wear fancy stuff for me if I just asked for it?”

Yamagata shrugged.

“If you were getting married, maybe.”

Then Kai snickered, shaking his head.

“Now _that’s_ a way of proposing…”

“Don’t get your hopes up, punk, I meant that I won’t do it until you get married, as in you’re gonna have to wait a long time…” explained Yamagata, but Kai kept snickering.

“I’m gonna have to wait a long time alright, because you’re a coward!” he said.

And of course he got smacked again for it. Less lightly than before.


	10. Gotta love those Parental Undertones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuoverse. Kaneda and Kei discuss PTA stuff and also have a Moment.

“We can, you know, go together if that’s a thing you’d like…” suggested Kei.

Kaneda turned to look at her, and scoffed.

“What? You really think I can’t handle a parent-teacher night?” he inquired.

“Honestly? It can be tricky.” replied Kei “Some teachers are intimidating. I know there’s at least one who’s been making Makiko cry.”

“Oh yeah, _that_ guy…” grumbled Kaneda, already frowning and clenching a fist.

“And there’s _that_ too.” continued Kei, with a slightly rebuking expression “Some teachers will give you good reasons to punch them, but you can’t. But you might anyway.”

“I said I was sorry that one time and it wasn’t even a teacher, it was some kid’s dad…” sighed Kaneda, slumping down on the couch.

It was so good to have a couch.

“And you were a little drunk…” remarked Kei, then leaning forward to scrutinize him “You’re not drunk right now, are you?”

“I don’t know, Kei, do I smell like beer?” snarked Kaneda, crossing his arms behind his neck as usual.

And he certainly didn’t.

Now Kei was sighing.

“Look, it’s not like I don’t think you can handle it alone.” she said, also crossing her own arms “I’m just offering support, the same way you’ve offered yours before… Besides, I’m as responsible for Makiko as you, I’ve been taking care of her too…”

“Like a _mom_?” smirked Kaneda, arms now outstretched across the back of the couch “Is that what you’re saying? That you’re the mom to my dad?”

Kei squinted.

“I don’t think… you’re wording that correctly, Kaneda…”

“You’re taking the role of Makiko’s mom…” clarified Kaneda, his smirk broadening “And since I took the role of her dad, that makes us more or less a _married couple_.”

Kei stared at him for a moment, raising an eyebrow.

“So you’re finally admitting that you’re Makiko’s father?” she said, deliberately missing the point.

“I mean, yeah? Kinda?” replied Kaneda, shrugging “I can’t keep saying we’re friends, adults aren’t friends with kids…”

“Oh, and now you’re finally admitting that you’re an adult.” continued Kei, still with a straight face “This is an important day.”

“I know, right, next thing we know you’re gonna admit that you always had the hots for me, since we met.” taunted Kaneda, as his smirk reached insolent proportions.

“ _Of course_ I did, Kaneda, that should be obvious.” replied Kei, still unfazed “How could anyone resist such a charming idiot?”

“Oh, _yeah_?” continued Kaneda “Well, if I’m an idiot, what’s that make you?”

And Kei actually had to pause for another moment, stare for another moment.         

“I mean, you could have just ditched this idiot long ago if he was that much of an idiot…” clarified Kaneda, leaning forward “But you _didn’t_.”

Kei pondered some more, and then sighed. Again.

“Alright, we’re both idiots.” she concluded “What are we doing taking care of a child.”

Then Kaneda pondered himself, and gave her a seemingly deep look.

“Are we taking care of the child or is the child taking care of us?” he asked.

“Some questions should remain unanswered.” stated Kei, then approaching to sit next to him “But anyway, my offer stands. We could- We _should_ go together, Kaneda. Married or not, we’re the closest thing to surrogate parents that child has. Not just you, both of us. And I want to help you, and support you.”

“And make sure I don’t punch anyone, you forgot that.” taunted Kaneda, again.

“And make sure you don’t punch anyone, yes.” asserted Kei “But mostly help you and support you.”

“…What would Kai be though?” inquired Kaneda, all of a sudden.

“…What?” inquired, in turn, Kei.

“Kai. If you’re the mom and I’m the dad, who’s Kai?” inquired, more clearly, Kaneda.

And Kei had to pause and stare for yet another moment.

“Your lover.” she replied.

“Huh…” blinked Kaneda “I was gonna say uncle maybe, but… yeah, that’s fair too…”


	11. Makiko Misbehaves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuoverse. Makiko comes back to Neo-Tokyo but not in the best way.

“I thought you knew…” muttered Kai, awkwardly rubbing his nape as he turned to Kei “Since, like… you’ve been mind talking in dreams, or something…”

“We have, yes.” replied Kei, still looking at Makiko, still frowning sternly “But she didn’t tell me anything about this.”

And Makiko could already feel her pitiful figure quivering, faltering at those sharp eyes.

But _no_.

She couldn’t falter this time. Not after making it so far, all by herself, without a scratch.

She couldn’t just shrink back again.

“I-I couldn’t tell you, because you wouldn’t have let me!” she exclaimed, although not too loudly.

“Wouldn’t have let you come? Well _yes_ , I wouldn’t have.” stated Kei, crossing her arms “It’s _dangerous_ in here, Makiko, and you know it. What were you even thinking?”

“More importantly!” intervened Kai, frowning a little himself “Are Sakaki and the others even aware of this? Were they okay with it? Did they just let you run away, just like that?”

“No, they didn’t… I snuck off…” admitted Makiko, looking away for just a second, and then back at them with a bit of a frown of her own “But I left them a note! A-and I’m sure they’ll understand, because this is important!”

“Even if you left a note, you can’t just sneak off!” continued Kai, now worriedly putting a hand on his forehead “Especially if you’re going to make such a trip, all alone… _Fucking hell_ , Kaneda’s gonna…”

“Kaneda doesn’t have to know…” interrupted Makiko, now looking down and fiddling with her fingers “I was thinking maybe I could hide in the cupboard when he’s back…”

“Oh no, he _will_ know. There are no secrets between us.” said Kei, and that actually made the child’s hair bristle slightly as she rapidly looked back at her.

Desperately, but also a bit exasperatedly.

Just a bit.

“ _No!_ ” she exclaimed, now more loudly “Don’t tell him, he’ll get mad!”

“You should have considered that before doing such a thing.” continued Kei, to then pause and inevitably sigh at the sight of Makiko giving in to the tears “Seriously, Makiko… What happened? Because I know you’re a good girl, and you wouldn’t run away like this… unless something happened…”

_Maybe something you saw…?_

Makiko blinked, her pupils focusing more intently on Kei’s as she let out a sniff.

“I… saw…” she whimpered “I saw… a light… and I heard… screams…”

And it didn’t only unsettle Kei but also Kai, who was still there.

Becoming paler. Becoming tenser.

“What…?” he murmured, glancing at Kei “ _What…!?_ ”

Kei was frowning again.

“Was it the city?” she asked, keeping her composure “Was the city being destroyed?”

“ _Everything!_ ” yelped Makiko, with more and more tears gushing out “This city, other cities… everything… everyone… _Why!?_ ”

And now Kai was frowning again.

“Shhh… It’s okay…” reassured Kei, crouching down and holding her “It’s just a warning, and you’re listening to it… so it _won’t_ happen. I _won’t_ let it happen.”

“I couldn’t leave you though, that’s why I came…” replied the child “I _can’t_ leave you, I have to… I _want_ to help!”

“ _No fucking way._ ”

Then they turned to Kai. He was still looking paler, still looking tenser.

“You’re going back home and you’re _staying there_.” he continued, with a severe tone he had _never_ used before.

And Kei couldn’t blame him. Even if the destruction of the _entire world_ sounded rather farfetched, even if the probability was low, it was still something they couldn’t take lightly. Especially if it had been predicted by someone with as much potential as Makiko.

“ _This_ is my home!” she protested, struggling to stop the tears, wiping them off almost aggressively “And I’ve been practicing! I’ve been getting better! I can help!”

“ _Makiko_ …” scowled Kai, to then sigh himself at the child’s uncontrollable crying, and try switching back to the softer demeanor “Makiko, please… How do you think Kaneda would feel if you got hurt? How do you think any of us would feel?”

“But I wouldn’t get hurt...” muttered Makiko, actually sounding a little more upset than sad “And I _have_ to, I _really have_ to… you don’t understand…”

“No, _you’re_ the one who isn’t…” began Kai, to then stop and fall confusedly silent at the intercepting look Kei was giving him.

“How many more times do I have to say it, Makiko?” she said, as she turned back to her “You’re _not_ responsible for what happened in the past, and you _don’t_ owe this place anything. That _wasn’t_ you.”

“But I… I owe _you_!” replied Makiko, almost painedly “You saved me… If I can, shouldn’t I save you back…?”

“Not if you could risk your life…” continued Kei, slowly standing back up, pensively standing back up “Remember when I told you to not strain yourself? You may think you have it all figured out, but you don’t. And that’s okay, because I don’t either. These powers… they take a while, a _long_ while…”

“All the more reason then!” exclaimed Makiko “We have to stick together and help each other!”

Kei sighed, turning away.

“Please…” begged the child, hands clasped against her chest “Please, Kei, let me help…”

And Kei wasn’t sure of how to proceed.

She glanced at Kai, but he was still just watching in silence.

Wondering if this was what Kaneda would go through sometimes, just this uncomfortable feeling of being so out of the loop…


	12. Scary Stories to Tell in the Old City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys share some sleepover anecdotes.

“Do you remember Kitamura?” asked Kaneda, leaning forward.

“I said _shut up_!” barked Tetsuo, but he ignored him, even after he threw an empty can at him.

He just slapped it away before it could hit him, and it fell off the balcony.

“The one who got expelled last week?” he continued, and Kai nodded expectantly.

“Yeah?”

“Well, he said… I mean, I don’t know how true it is, you know, but _he said_ … that there was this friend of his who went to the old city for a stroll, right? And he was crossing this street…”

“Who the fuck goes to the old city for a stroll!?” interrupted Yamagata, almost cackling at it.

“Who cares!?” intervened Tetsuo, throwing his hands up “It’s bullshit anyway!”

“Could have been a test of courage.” supposed Kai, rather casually “I heard a lot of folks have been going there for tests of courage, and they ended up turning into tests of getting away from the cops.”

“Yeah, I think it was that…” replied Kaneda, vaguely, to then proceed “So anyway, he was crossing this street and suddenly… he sees a girl on the ground, like she’s hurt or something. So he walks up to check on her, right? And she hears him, and she looks up at him…”

Tetsuo kept sulking, looking away and trying to not listen, trying to not imagine what was being told.

Yamagata just opened another can of beer and took a gulp, like it was some everyday chat.

Kai was still the one who was paying the most attention.

“And he was going to talk to her, but then he saw… that she had no lower half, it was like slashed off, with blood and guts spilling out…”

“Let me guess, she was looking for her legs.” smirked Yamagata.

“Actually, yeah? I think?” replied Kaneda, turning to him “Had you heard that one before?”

“Nah, I just think that’s what I’d do.” jeered Yamagata, then taking another gulp “Must be the fucking worst to have to crawl everywhere.”

“Oh yeah, I’ve heard of her!” smiled Kai, then rubbing his chin “What was her name again? Kashima? Something like that…”

“Did she kill him or not though?” continued Yamagata “Because what’s the point if she didn’t?”

“Don’t you think the guy couldn’t tell the story if he was, I don’t know, fucking dead?” intervened, once again, Tetsuo, and he just shrugged.

“Could have told it as a ghost… right, Kai?” he said, turning to Kai, and Kai nodded.

“Could have, yeah.” he confirmed, and Tetsuo just rolled his eyes.

“You fucking preschoolers and your fucking ‘spooky’ shit…” he grumbled.

“Leave him be, he’s still mad because I punched a demon and he didn’t.” smirked Kaneda, opening and then downing a can himself.

“You did _what_!?” exclaimed Kai, as Tetsuo glared at him, but then scoffed.

“Yeah right, like it wasn’t just some guy in a costume.” he said, and Kaneda immediately scoffed back at him.

“So you’re admitting that a guy in a costume made you scream like a baby!” he replied, and Tetsuo glared again but more sharply, with a little trace of burning shame on his cheeks.

“Now _that’s_ a story I wanna hear…” snickered Yamagata, as Kai just sweatdropped and awkwardly looked around for a can, or a snack, or whatever.

“A test of courage at the old city must be interesting though…” he mused, after grabbing and opening a bag of chips.

“Sounds definitely better than the one we had, with that shitty haunted house…” replied Kaneda, then turning back to Tetsuo and nudging him “Come on, man… Lighten up a bit, will ya? You know I was just kidding!”

Tetsuo just gave him a weary look and threw a pillow at him.

And it did hit him this time.

“Just stop talking about that stupid shit, it’s so stupid it bothers me…” he mumbled.

“Alright, let’s talk about something else then…” proposed Yamagata “Like who’s been studying for Monday’s exam, because I sure as hell didn’t.”

And Kai could only smile thankfully, because he could tell.

He could tell how much those things actually scared Tetsuo, and it kept making him wonder if so could Kaneda.

And if Tetsuo had ever gone through some unpleasant supernatural encounter himself, that could have affected him badly.

It just felt like that.


	13. Kei and Kai get Spicy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuoverse. Based on that one time I wondered about Kei and Kai having some casual business while Kaneda's away.

The lights were still off.

The futon was still in disarray.

And his skin was still feeling surprisingly soft and warm against hers.

Kei opened her eyes and looked up, at the window. She could see a bit of the moon.

“Kai…” she muttered, shifting leisurely “What the hell are we doing…?”

Kai seemed to chuckle somewhat sharply, somewhat bemusedly.

“No fucking clue…” he replied, even despite the little smirk that could have implied otherwise.

Kei blinked into a rather unimpressed expression, after turning to face him properly, and that made him want to make an addition.

“Unless that’s meant to be a rhetorical question… then _me too_ …”

Then Kei sighed briefly, her head now resting on his shoulder.

“I didn’t think… you could… I mean, I didn’t think you _would_ …” she fumbled “I just wasn’t sure…”

“It’s okay, I wasn’t sure either.” reassured Kai, albeit in a slightly jeering manner “Guess you never stop learning shit about yourself, huh?”

“Guess not…” assented Kei.

And then both fell silent for a moment.

It was just so awkward.

It had started as either a fervent whim or a desperate need of comfort, but whatever it had been, it was over. It was no longer there. Now the only thing left was utter confusion.

Utter hesitation.

“…Did you like it at least?” inquired Kai, eventually.

Kei frowned.

“Do I _really_ have to answer that?”

“Hey, I’m just curious…” continued Kai, shrugging “Just wanna know if I can rub it in Kaneda’s face or…”

Kei frowned more blatantly, more worriedly.

“Kidding, kidding!” clarified Kai, raising his hands and then putting them behind his neck “Like _hell_ I’m gonna tell him…”

Then she turned again, now to face the ceiling.

“At this point I just don’t know…” she said “I just don’t know how he’d take it, he’s been acting so…”

“…not like himself lately, I know…” guessed Kai “But I mean… you guys… are you _even_ a thing?”

Then she narrowed her eyes, in another unimpressed expression.

“Are _you_?”

Kai scoffed.

“You know I’m too good for him.” he replied “I’m just asking because… I’m seriously curious…”

And now he was staring at the ceiling as well.

Even though they were still in the dark.

“It’s… complicated…” muttered Kei.

And it was.

It really was.

She loved Kaneda. There was no doubt about that.

She wanted to spend the rest of her life with Kaneda. There was no doubt about that either.

But she loved Kai too, and she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Kai too.

And she could only wonder if she loved both of them _that way_ , or it was just one of them.

Or _none_.

It was blurry. It was frustrating.

_It was complicated._

And this incident had only made it even more complicated.

“Listen…” said Kai, now guessing her distress “It’s okay, it doesn’t matter. I’m not telling. He already has enough shit coming with Makiko anyway, so…”

Then Kei sighed, more deeply and longly than before.

“Thanks…”

 _Then_ they fell silent for another moment, in which her head returned to its resting spot on his shoulder, as he caressed her hair.

As affectionately and reassuringly as he could.


	14. Cleansing Ritual

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuoverse. A closer look into local preacher Uchida and his Akiraist teachings.

Koichi Uchida had the ravaged features of a man who hadn’t aged well, a man who definitely had seen better days.

Yet, there was something charming about him. Something charming enough to lure more and more people every day.

And that day hadn’t been an exception. The auditorium was almost brimming with attendants.

And the self-proclaimed priest was already entering, with his four disciples in tow. All of them wearing regal looking robes.

There was a supporting assistant preparing the lectern as well, ceremoniously placing the presumed scriptures and what appeared to be a cup of wine on it.

Then the gongs joined in, setting the prelude in motion.

“Brothers and sisters…” began Uchida, stepping forward with a serene smile “First and foremost, I want to thank you all for coming. It is a very noble and brave act, especially in such times.”

The stage lights were shining vivaciously, illuminating a smaller replica of that legendary mural, crafted on a piece of cloth.

“Lord Akira sees these acts. They inspire his mercy. They bring us closer to atonement, to salvation. In such times…”

Depicting the same glorious destruction, at the hands of the same furious boy and his crimson cape. Obviously Lord Akira.

“In such times, there is no hope for the world. The first strike has already marked its point of no return. Its descent. Even as we speak, it keeps straying. Further and further.”

And Uchida’s voice was still the only present one. Still the only necessary one, because everybody else would simply agree with every single word.

“An apocalypse is coming. An ultimate sentence. Soon, those who have tainted the world, those who have pushed it into this sinful spiral… will perish with it.”

Then the attendants started murmuring, shifting a little agitatedly.

“But not us, no!” assured Uchida “For we have been graced! We have been chosen by Lord Akira to populate the new world! Because there is not only death in this process, but also rebirth. A blank slate. The opportunity to fix the mistakes of the past. Or rather, to _prevent_. To _forget_ the mistakes of the past. Because this new world, the new world Lord Akira will create for us, will be _perfect_. We will work together, and eventually achieve…”

Then he paused to take the cup of wine and raise it in an encouraging manner.

“…true enlightenment.” he concluded, to then take a sip.

And that naturally compelled the attendants to follow his lead, with the additional cups that had been cunningly left next to them by the assistant, just minutes before this final statement.

It seemed to be some kind of mandatory toast, some kind of formality they couldn’t skip.

So they did it. They downed their share of wine.

And initiated the main event.

With escalating mumbling and a couple of cups hitting the floor.

Things were just looking merely hazy at first, but it didn’t take them too long to transform. To warp. To reach for everyone’s heads and start pounding on them, stabbing them with imaginary needles.

Filling them with otherworldly images and sensations, with a strength they were not designed to withstand.

Some of them just screamed and thrashed about, some others tried to approach the priest and cry for help.

Uchida was still smiling calmly, watching the chaos unfold while finishing his cup. His disciples and his assistant weren’t moving much either. They all were clearly waiting.

It was the only remaining step. To wait.

There were already visible traces of blood, from both violent levels of brain damage and improvised suicides.

The screaming was fading.

The turmoil was getting gradually reduced.

But it didn’t stop for good, because there was still one person.

One single survivor.

Still holding his head in pain, still widening his eyes in horror. Wondering what the hell had just happened. Wondering _why_.

Falling to his knees.

Getting startled by the sudden sound of Uchida clapping.

“Splendid!” he said, with a casual contentment that couldn’t be more out of place after such massacre “We have completed another successful cleansing ritual. Thank you very much, my brothers, for your cooperation and hard work. Let us hope the next one is also a success.”

“C… Cleansing ritual…?” stammered the survivor, looking around “ _Cleansing ritual!?_ ”

“We got ourselves an anointed one, Master.” observed one of the disciples, as the poor man let out another anguished howl of pain.

“That I can see.” replied Uchida, already going towards him “The Lord has spoken.”

“He has the gift…” whispered another disciple, the youngest one “He has the gift, right?”

“Yes, he does.” replied yet another one, as they proceeded to follow their master “Which means he has been chosen for the sacred task of salvation.”

“It is so rejoicing to keep finding more candidates, I would have never been able to save so many lost souls on my own.” smiled Uchida, now getting close enough to hold his hand out “Congratulations, brother. Now you can be a savior too.”

“A… a what…!?” mumbled the survivor, still justifiably disoriented.

“A savior. Someone who kills to save.” explained the youngest disciple from behind “Look, everyone’s going to die in the apocalypse, because they’re horrible and they did horrible things to the world. But if Lord Akira kills them before, they will be graced and their souls forgiven, and taken to the new world… and we carry out Lord Akira’s will…”

“You are acting out of line.” scowled the disciple who had talked first, and Uchida chuckled.

“It’s alright, you know how excitable the youth is.” he said, glancing back at them “However, I’m afraid we will have to wait until our newest member is in better condition to educate him… _if_ he wishes to be educated…”

“And if he doesn’t…?” inquired, once again, the youngest disciple.

Uchida’s smile broadened in response.

His assistant was already cleaning the mess.


	15. Makiko has a Fever Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuoverse. Some brief existential thing.

Makiko was sitting on her swing.

Swaying with the wind and looking at the sky. It was red.

Almost as red as her coat.

“I know you…” she said, tilting her head a little “You’re… _me_ … I mean… I’m _you_ … I mean, I _used_ to be _you_ …”

Then she squinted. Her hair was bristling, hovering.

“Why do you _always_ do that?” she asked, a bit curiously but also a bit frustratedly “Why are you always so far…?”

And why was the playground so full of cracks again? Why was it seemingly about to collapse again?

Makiko took a moment to stare at her hands. Was she faltering?

All the hard work she had put into making the place as soothing as possible, had it been for nothing?

“No, I’m not gonna…” she muttered, now closing her hands against her lap “I _can’t_ understand if you don’t tell me…”

Now looking at the ground.

“I know I should… because we’re the same…” she continued “But I don’t… I really don’t… know what it means…”

Now looking at an abyss.

“Why don’t you talk to me…?”

Still on the swing.

“Is there anything… wrong with me…?”

On a small remaining piece of ground.

“Because if there is, you _must_ know…”

Then she frowned a little.

“If there is… I want to know… I want to know what it is…”

Then she started shedding tears.

“It’s hurting me…”

Then the small remaining piece of ground disintegrated as well, along with the swingset.

But she didn’t fall.

She just curled up in mid-air.


	16. The Brothers get Introduced

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuoverse. There's also some Uchida shenanigans and some little nods to another Katsuhiro Otomo manga that I highly recommend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takeo was created by Harukiya and I love him.

“ _Five more deaths have been confirmed this week. Details are still unclear, but it is suspected that three of the victims slit their throats, whereas the remaining two jumped from high altitudes…_ ”

Kei was already frowning at the television.

Pressing her fingers around the can of coffee she hadn’t opened yet. Taking the remote to turn the volume up, but not too much. Looking around for the phone…

…and then finding it hovering next to her.

“Thanks.” she muttered, glancing at Makiko.

She was frowning as well. There was some paper and a pen on the table, but she hadn’t been drawing this time. It rather seemed that she had been writing some things down.

“ _A connection might have been established._ ” continued the newsreader “ _Several witnesses assure that they heard one of the jumpers declare that he was doing it for Lord Akira. This same declaration was manifested throughout the similar incidents of the past month…_ ”

But now she was speaking through a different, smaller television.

And Kai was the one frowning.

“Yeah, I found it…” he said, to the phone against his ear “And yeah, there’s definitely something fishy about this…”

“What do you think?” inquired Kei, from the other side of the line “Could it be just some massive ritual suicide all these people are agreeing to?”

“Is it Kei!?” shouted Kaneda, from across the room, as he kept spreading polish on that one bike.

That one rookie’s bike.

“Yeah!” shouted Kai in response, to then promptly return to the call “I don’t know, I mean, judging by what they’d been saying about…”

Then Kaneda cleared his throat. Still very loudly.

Loudly enough for Kai to turn, and see him briefly gesturing towards the two boys that were still there, watching him work.

Even if they didn’t precisely represent a threat to their group and their plans, it was still better to keep the psychic conspiracies entirely secret.

Kai nodded in realization, and proceeded to walk away, go somewhere more isolated.

“Hold on, I gotta move real quick…” he said, while disappearing through the door.

Kaneda smirked and continued polishing. Hopefully he would get filled in later.

“Man, that’s _sick_!” exclaimed one of the boys, glancing at the television, and right before Kaneda changed the channel.

It was Azuma, the owner of the bike.

“You missed a spot.” said the other, then pointing “Over there.”

It was Takeo, Azuma’s little brother.

Both of them had been coming quite frequently, even when Azuma didn’t need anything. The place was just becoming a regular hangout for them.

“Why don’t you use the drill? Wouldn’t it be faster?” remarked Takeo, once again.

Kaneda inhaled in a bit of an annoyed manner, but it only lasted a second before he switched back to the smirk.

“Because I’m showing him how it’s done, and he’s not ready for the drill.” he replied, turning to them “He has to learn how to use the towel first.”

“I bet those weirdos went to the ruins…” said Azuma, still looking at the television, as if the suicides report was still there “Saw things and got all messed up, you know?”

Takeo raised an eyebrow at his absolute lack of attention, and then at Kaneda.

“If you really think he’s gonna polish his shit by himself someday, then you’re even more of a dumbass than I thought.” he said.

“Okay, Azuma!?” barked Kaneda, nearly throwing the towel to the floor “Azuma, this isn’t a fucking daycare. Either your brother shuts it or gets the fuck out.”

“What?” replied Azuma, finally tuning in, and turning to his brother “The fuck are you doing now, runt?”

Takeo shrugged.

“Sticking it to the old people?” he jeered, with a little smirk of his own.

“I’m not even thirty yet, you little shit!” snapped Kaneda, which only made him smirk more noticeably “You scamps are lucky Kai likes you, because if it was up to me…”

“Have you ever gone to the ruins, Kaneda?” interrupted Azuma.

He was clearly still thinking about that.

Kaneda paused for a moment, and then smirked again.

“Why, are you planning to go yourself? With your friends?” he inquired, resuming the polishing “Is it gonna be one of those tests of courage?”

“Maybe…” muttered Azuma, rubbing the back of his head “I’m mostly worried about the cops though, I don’t believe in any of that ghostly bull…”

“Good, because you wouldn’t have found it anyway.” stated Kaneda “At least back in the day there was _something_ left, now it’s just rubble and more rubble…”

“You know only old people say ‘back in the day’, right?” intervened Takeo, looking deadpan.

“So you _have_?” intervened Azuma, looking intrigued “Been there? Did you see Lord Akira, whoever the fuck that is? Seriously, what’s with that guy?”

Kaneda shrugged.

“Beats me.”

“Must be some spooky story someone made up.” supposed Takeo “Sounds like some suicide god…”

“It’s bull, really.” continued Azuma “Nobody can force you to kill yourself, it’s just… the power of suggestion? I think that’s how it’s called.”

“Then you should be fine, your skull is too thick for that.” concluded Takeo, and Kaneda couldn’t help snickering.

He had to admit the boys could get kind of endearing, in a kind of nostalgic way…

Too bad Kai was missing it.

But, then again, he was still dealing with a more serious issue on the phone.

“ _Mind control_? Really?” he inquired, with a slightly anxious frown.

“Just think about it…” replied Kei, from the other side “Other espers… They _have_ done it to me. They have made me do things without realizing. It _is_ possible…”

“No, yeah…” fumbled Kai, running a hand through his fringe “It’s not like I’m not believing you, I’m actually…”

Then he began to to ponder.

“ _Shit_ , Kei, I’m sure…”

And try to recall, but it was difficult. It was blurry.

Yet…

“I’m sure I’ve heard of something like this before…”

Then Kei blinked in surprise, and so did Makiko next to her.

“What…?” muttered Kei “You mean…”

“The random suicides, yes.” replied Kai “It could have been just a myth though, but… I’m gonna look into it later, just in case…”

If only he listened more, back when it had been told to him.

Back when he was still a careless teen.

“Alright, but don’t overwork yourself.” said Kei “For all we know, it could be nothing. It could be just a lot of desperate people wanting out…”

The city was certainly in enough shambles to allow it.

But Makiko didn’t seem to agree. Makiko was still looking concerned.

And so was Kai.

“I don’t know, Kei…” he sighed “If they keep saying the guy has powers, I’m gonna keep suspecting… Hell, even if he didn’t, wouldn’t he be still responsible for those deaths? He’s the one who’s been spewing shit about Akira and cleansing the world…”

“That’s a fair point.” acknowledged Kei, and Makiko nodded “We’ll be alert either way…”

“And _careful_.” reminded Kai “Be careful too. Don’t do anything stupid. And that goes for both of you, not just Makiko.”

“I wasn’t going to…” mumbled Makiko, frowning and looking away.

“Come on, Kai, you know I wouldn’t do anything stupid without letting you and Kaneda know first.” snarked Kei “It wouldn’t be as fun otherwise.”

“ _Good_.” snarked Kai in return, to then soften up “But seriously, take care of yourselves…”

“You too.” replied Kei “We might have to keep an even lower profile from now on...”

Then Makiko turned back to her, and Kei promptly guessed her thoughts and gave her the phone.

“We’ll be okay, Kai, have a nice day.” she said “We love you.”

And that took him aback for a second, but then he smiled.

“…I love you too.”

And so did Kei, as she retrieved the phone.

“You never say it and that’s bad. You should feel bad.” said Makiko, to then go back to her meticulous notes on the table.

Kei believed to read a ‘Yamagata’ on a corner of one of the sheets, but that was all she could make out before Makiko covered them with her arm again.


	17. Kai gives Makiko a Notebook

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuoverse. There's some dream talk too.

“What’s this?” asked Makiko, blinking at the bag Kai had just handed over.

“A gift.” he smiled, to then head for the kitchen with the rest of the bags “Hope you like it!”

It was a little notebook. It had a pretty peachy color.

“I just noticed that…” he continued, as she turned to him “…you’ve been writing stuff down a lot lately, and figured you’d like to do it on a better spot.”

Now Makiko was smiling, but rather ashamedly.

“You didn’t have to…” she said, then jolting up “I mean, thank you! But you didn’t have to!”

“But I did anyway.” he replied, while putting the freshly bought groceries into the cupboard and the fridge “Because I’m a rebel.”

Makiko sighed, and took the notebook to idly flip through its empty pages.

Kai observed her for a moment from behind the counter, and then approached again.

“It’s nothing important though…” she muttered, looking back at him as he sat down next to her “I just…”

Then she paused to rest her chin on a hand.

“Have you ever had really weird dreams?” she inquired.

“Oh yeah, lots of times.” he replied “Is that what you’ve been writing about?”

Makiko nodded.

And it was kind of a lie.

Because they weren’t _that_ weird.

“Well, it _is_ important to me.” continued Kai “I mean, some things are just so mind-blowing you just gotta, like… document them, you know? And maybe it doesn’t make any sense, but if you wanna do it, if you have fun doing it, then why not?”

“I just… think that could help finding out what they mean.” mused Makiko “I heard all dreams have some meaning, even the really weird ones.”

“That’s a fun thing to do for sure, I’ve done it myself before.” assented Kai, and she looked back at the notebook.

Pausing again.

And so did he, to observe her for another moment.

“Sometimes it feels like a puzzle.” continued Makiko “Like I’m seeing pieces of something… and I want to know what it is…”

And now he was starting to suspect that this very conversation was carrying some hidden meaning he wasn’t aware of.

“All the more reason to keep your notes more organized if you ask me.” he replied.

He didn’t want to pry.

“But curiosity’s kind of bad, right?” inquired Makiko “They always say you shouldn’t be too curious, that you could see things you’re not supposed to…”

“It never hurts to be a little careful…” supposed Kai “But we’re talking about dreams, aren’t we? And dreams come from your own brain. There shouldn’t be anything too messed up in your own brain, I mean, unless you were… messed up…”

Then he stopped, at the sight of Makiko showing traces of a concerned frown.

“You’re _not_ messed up, Makiko.” he stated, promptly switching to a firmer tone “You’re a sweet kid that’s dealing with some nasty shit, but is pulling through it. Greatly. And she’s gonna make it.”

Then Makiko looked down.

“Am I…?” she muttered, hands uneasily interlaced against her lap “Am I really…?”

And, once again, Kai could tell that there was some underlying meaning.

But he still didn’t want to pry. She clearly would rather keep it to herself, and he would respect that.

No matter how much he wished he could know, so he could understand.

So he could help her.

“ _Yes_.” he assured, leaning in to gently caress her back.

It was the least he could do.

“Thanks…” she replied, smiling again “We’ll always… be friends, right?”

“Of course we will!” exclaimed Kai, now giving her a full-fledged hug “It’s been a year, maybe two, you’re already stuck with us!”

And even despite her still melancholic expression, she welcomed it.

And welcomed his warm words as well.

“Come on, let’s just stop being sad for a bit, shall we?” he continued “We spend _way_ too much time being sad, let’s just… let’s go get some ice cream…”

And, as expected, Makiko’s face lit up at the prospect.

She was still a child after all.


	18. Kai Comes Out or so I think

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another Kai and Yamagata thingy, they're like twelve in this.

Yamagata kept staring at Kai.

At his defensive frown, almost concealed behind his scraped knees.

“ _So…?_ ” he said.

Kai looked back at him.

“…What do you _mean_ ‘so’?” he inquired.

Yamagata shrugged.

“I mean, okay?” he replied, rubbing his nape “I mean, I don’t get it. What’s supposed to be the big deal here?”

And Kai almost snapped, but then realized.

Yamagata’s confused expression was genuine. Now it was even more evident than before.

Kai sighed.

“It’s just…” he continued, but then stopped.

“I swear you’ve been acting weird all day.” squinted Yamagata, taking a lollipop from his pocket, removing the wrapper, putting it into his mouth.

Like nothing had happened.

Like absolutely nothing had happened.

“You…” resumed Kai, beginning to stand up “You _heard_ what I said, right?”

Yamagata blinked.

And then frowned himself.

“You like dudes, _yes_.” he replied “I got that part. What I’m not getting is the fuss. What do you want, special treatment or some shit? Because you like cock? Do you want a fucking award or what?”

Kai was puffing his flushed cheeks.

“ _No!_ ” he jolted, then looking away “I just…”

Yamagata kept staring.

“You just _what_?”

And he wasn’t sure.

He wasn’t sure of how to proceed.

Things had already gone way too differently from what he had expected.

“Most people…” he muttered “…stop talking to me after I tell them…”

And Yamagata kept staring.

Yamagata kept staring, almost sharply…

And then snorted.

“Hold on!” he snickered, crossing his arms “Hold on, hold on! So you’re telling me you thought I’d stop talking to you because of _that_!?”

Kai looked back at him, also crossing his arms, as if in response.

“Well, _maybe_ you would have…!” he replied, a little angrily “Maybe you would have and it would have been _okay_ because…!”

“ _No_ , it wouldn’t have.” interrupted Yamagata, now reaching out to put his hands on Kai’s shoulders, returning to the serious demeanor, making him blush again “I don’t give a fuck about what you like… as in, whether I like it too or not, it doesn’t matter. I like fried oysters but you don’t, and you’re okay with that, aren’t you?”

Kai sighed.

“It’s not the same…”

“ _Yes, it is_.” interrupted, once again, Yamagata “It doesn’t matter, it _shouldn’t_ matter. If it matters to everybody else, that’s their fucking problem. But not mine. Okay?”

Kai shuddered as he got closer, and gradually pulled him into a hug.

“You fucking idiot…” he said, as Kai buried his face into his chest.


	19. Kaneda and Kei have yet another Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuoverse. Bittersweet stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The wall mentioned is the memorial wall coined by Harukiya and featured in her work, 'A Place to Crash (And Burn)' that you should totally check out.

“Alright, it’s ready…” said Kei, as she proceeded to take both cups to the table.

Kaneda was still looking at the window.

The raindrops were making such a racket outside.

“Where did Kai go?” asked Kei, already sitting across from him and blowing into her cup.

Kaneda turned, and took a moment to now look at his.

Instant cappuccino was kind of a refreshing change of pace after days and days of plain canned coffee.

“To the wall…” he replied, taking the cup for a sip, wincing, and then also blowing into it.

“With this weather?” inquired Kei, raising her eyebrows.

Kaneda shrugged.

“Nothing stops him.” he said, taking the little spoon, stirring idly.

“I see…” muttered Kei.

Then both paused.

Pensively.

It might have lasted a minute or two, before they finally could drink their cappuccinos in peace.

The raindrops were still making a racket.

“I’ve been meaning to go myself…” said Kei, glancing down at the table “…but I guess I haven’t got the time…”

“You’re more worried about the living than the dead.” observed Kaneda “About the ones you can still save… and that’s okay…”

Kei frowned, in that one concerned manner.

“I guess so…” she said, eyes now fully focused on Kaneda “But it’s… a little selfish of me…”

Kaneda blinked, as his dull expression turned into a slightly quizzical one.

“What do you mean?”

Kei took a long sip, as if psyching herself up before answering.

“When I take care of them, of the ones I can still save… it makes me feel better. Because I stop thinking about the ones I _couldn’t_ …”

And now Kaneda’s surprise was a bit more evident.

Was Kei opening up? Showing weakness?

In front of _him_ of all people?

“Sometimes it feels like I don’t see them as people, but just comfort tools…” continued Kei “Just a reason to consider that maybe I’m not _that much_ of a failure…”

Kaneda couldn’t help glancing at the door leading to the bedroom, where Makiko was still sleeping, upon hearing that statement.

And then suddenly understand…

“For how long have you been thinking about this?” he asked.

Kei blinked, and seemed to focus even more.

“Maybe for as long as you have…” she replied.

And Kaneda could only snicker wearily.

Kaneda could only snicker wearily because there was no use anymore. There was no use in denying it, there was no use in getting defensive.

There was no use.

“Well, that sucks.” he said, leaning forward “But hey, at least you’re helping people. Selfish motive or not, you’re doing something good… and I’m sure your friends can see that, and forgive you…”

Kei seemed to ponder some more, but then smiled a little as Kaneda reached out to take her hand.

“You’re doing good too, Kaneda…” she replied “I know it’s hard for you to believe, but it doesn’t matter if it’s not as many people, you’re still helping them.”

Then Kaneda snickered again.

“No one would forgive me though, I was friends with the _bad guy_ …”

And Kei’s smile faded.

“You know that’s not true.” she said, her fingers interlacing with his “It’s more complicated than that…”

“But that’s what everybody else thinks, that’s what everybody else saw.” continued Kaneda, lowering his head, looking down “I can’t even put his picture on the wall, Kei, I can’t even… say I miss him…”

And shaking.

He was actually shaking.

Kei was squeezing his hand, returning to the concerned frown.

“Who says you can’t?” she inquired, and Kaneda looked back at her.

And blinked, to then rub his eyes.

And she noticed.

“It’s okay to cry, Kaneda…”

Kaneda sniffed, and partly covered his face with a hand anyway.

But not the hand that was holding Kei’s.

“I don’t hate him.” she continued, guessing his thoughts “Even despite all the things he did, I don’t hate Tetsuo. He did upset me, yes, but that’s about it. I didn’t get to know him well enough. And that’s honestly a shame…”

“It’s all my fault, Kei…” muttered Kaneda “He wasn’t always like that, he… he was such a sweet kid, Kei…”

“Is that so?” replied Kei, getting up to then approach him, reseat next to him “Why don’t you talk to me about him?”

“Would you really…” began Kaneda, to then get interrupted by her guessing his thoughts again.

“Yes. I would love to know.”


	20. Close Encounters of the Existential Kind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuoverse. Makiko gets an unexpected dreamscape visit.

He was translucent. Ethereal looking.

Like an angel.

Or at least how Makiko had always imagined them.

Gleaming before her. Staring intently at her.

Making her drop her chalk and let it roll across the pavement, all over the unfinished drawing of Kaneda, Kei, Kai and herself…

The wind was blowing. The park’s colors were fading, getting seemingly bleached away by his light. He was approaching.

And Makiko wasn’t sure of what to do, how to react. She could only stare back, eyes widening.

She had waited for so long that she was already giving up.

And maybe that was why.

Maybe he had been waiting for her to stop waiting.

Maybe he was taking pleasure in her currently helpless expression.

Either way, she could only stare back.

“You’re here…” she muttered, getting up.

Shuddering, but just a little.

It was inevitable. There was something foreboding, something overwhelming about his presence.

“You called me.” he replied.

Makiko took a deep breath, hands quickly going behind her back.

“I’m sorry…” she said “I just… There were some things I wanted to ask you…”

And she was already regretting it, because she could tell how tired he was.

Almost as if carrying an invisible, yet positively heavy load on his weary shoulders.

“I’m Makiko.” she continued, deciding to approach herself, but just a little “What’s your name?”

The angel frowned.

“Don’t you _already_ know that?” he inquired, and Makiko shrank in the most ashamed manner.

“Not really, no… I’ve tried, but my head hurts… it’s been hurting a lot lately…”

Then the angel sighed.

“…Tetsuo.”

And she smiled a bit in response, to then bow accordingly.

“Nice to meet you, Tetsuo…”

And then go towards the swingset to sit on her favorite swing.

Tetsuo gave her a rather intrigued look and followed her, but didn’t sit with her.

“Do you know…” she continued, beginning to sway “…what happened to _our_ soul? Do you know why it’s broken?”

Tetsuo crossed his arms, leaning against the metallic frame. Impassively.

He knew she would bring that up sooner or later.

“Because _I_ broke it.” he replied, almost matter-of-factly.

And that made her eyes widen again.

“ _Why?_ Why did you…”

“Because I had to.” he replied, with the same tone, to then promptly guess what would come next “I am _not_ your past life. I am _not_ the past, I am _still_ the present.”

Makiko was tilting her head.

“Not dead. Just in pieces.” he clarified, then getting closer to point at her chest “And you have one of those pieces.”

Makiko glanced at it for a second, before straightening back up.

“Did you give it to me?” she asked, then getting worried “Or did I steal it?”

Tetsuo sighed again. Less annoyedly.

And more sadly.

“I gave it.” he replied, slowly looking down “So I could…”

_Make her whole._

“…make _you_ whole…”

Makiko blinked.

“Make me whole?”

“So you could stand, and breathe…” concluded Tetsuo, not expecting her to understand and not intending to clarify further either.

She was still so young. She didn’t need it.

“So… I was broken…” figured Makiko “And you broke yourself so you could fix me…?”

Tetsuo nodded vaguely.

“Mmhm…”

And then she smiled again.

But this time the smile was brighter, even if just a little.

“That’s… very nice of you…” she said, getting off the swing to approach him again “Thank you, Tetsuo!”

Tetsuo kept staring at the ground. Thinking about how she had no idea of why he had done it, of the circumstances behind it, and yet didn’t seem to care.

“It hurts though, doesn’t it?” he said “Having to carry _that_ , even if it keeps you alive…”

Makiko paused for a moment, and eventually shrugged.

“I’m getting used to it, so it’s okay…” she replied, still smiling…

…but then suddenly noticing something, while finally taking a detailed look at him.

At his pale skin, full of cracks.

Cracks like those she had seen before, in those illusions…

“But you… now you’re the broken one…”

Tetsuo paused for a moment, looking back at her, sensing her concern…

And eventually shrugged.

“I got used to it, so it’s okay.” he said.

But Makiko was already shrinking again.

“Still… I’m sorry…”

And he was already sighing again, and turning around.

“Hey… Wait!” she called, scooting after him as he started walking away “I’m really sorry!”

“Don’t be.” he replied, now starting to dissipate “You didn’t do anything.”

“But you’re upset!” she exclaimed, trying to leap forward and grab him “And don’t tell me you’re not, because I can _feel_ it!”

But she merely phased through him.

“I _am_.” he replied, with a slight hint of exasperation “But _not_ at you. I need to be alone.”

And then she fell.

And he vanished completely.

Leaving her whimpering in pain on the pavement.

“Wait…” she muttered “I want… I want to help you too…”

Curling up, as everything else vanished as well.

“I’m still… part of you…”


	21. Kaneda and Makiko have a Moment or So It Seems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuoverse. Late night idle chatter but actually not very idle.

Makiko finished washing her face and returned to the bedroom.

With her eyes wide open. Filled with definite insomnia.

Maybe that last dream had left her thinking too much. Maybe this would indeed keep happening over and over again. Maybe melatonin was a good idea after all.

Because now she would have to just lie down and stare at the ceiling, wondering how long it would take for the sleepiness to come back.

All while having some more disquieting doubts about her existence, something no nine-year-old should deal with.

But she was special. And it sucked.

And there was no way of opening the bedroom’s door without making at least a little bit of noise.

And that sucked too.

“What are you doing…?”

Makiko stopped in her tracks and turned. Even despite the dark and the muffled tone, she could recognize the voice.

“ _Kaneda…?_ ”

“Hm…” seemed to reply Kaneda, as she approached “What are you doing up this late?”

He was still sprawling next to Kai.

“I’m sorry, I can’t sleep…” said Makiko, rubbing an arm “But I’m gonna try…”

“It’s okay, I can’t sleep either.” he replied.

Rather paradoxically since, as Makiko realized upon repositioning herself next to him, he was actually still sleeping.

“Got a lot of shit going on in my mind I guess…” he continued, much to her intrigue.

“You too?” she replied, resting her chin on her hands, looking up at him “What are you thinking about?”

“…What are _you_ thinking about?” countered Kaneda, and Makiko chuckled.

“I’ll tell you if you tell me first.” she said, and then Kaneda chuckled.

“You _always_ have to do that, don’t you?” he said, smirking in his sleep “It’s nothing juicy though, you’re gonna get bored.”

“I don’t care.” she replied, somewhat earnestly “Friends listen to each other, even when it’s boring stuff.”

“Well, if you _must_ know…” continued Kaneda, then pausing for a second to shift slightly “It’s just… Kai, you know?”

Then Makiko blinked in quiet surprise.

“Kai? What’s the matter with Kai?” she inquired.

Kaneda shrugged in his sleep.

“ _How_ does he do it?” he said “I mean, do you ever… like, get the feeling he always has everything figured out? That he’s never struggling?”

Makiko looked away, pondering.

Glancing at Kai.

Nodding briefly.

“It does look like that, yes…” she admitted, to then turn back to Kaneda “But I don’t think it’s true. I think he’s just… really good at pretending…”

Kaneda scoffed.

“That _fake bitch_.” he said, in a sourer chuckle “Must be real proud of himself, that _cheating bitch_.”

Then Makiko frowned.

“Don’t talk about him like that!” she scolded, a bit louder than required, to then promptly lower her voice again “He just doesn’t want us to worry…”

“Ooohoho, what is this?” jeered Kaneda “Are you defending him? Do you maybe… have a crush on him or something?”

“Wh- _No!_ ” snapped Makiko “I’m just saying that…!”

“Fucking hell, you have a crush on him!” laughed Kaneda, still in his sleep “I’m gonna tell Yamagata!”

“No, you won’t!” scowled Makiko.

Humored Makiko.

And Kaneda laughed some more, and it was so _bizarre_.

She had never heard him laugh in such manner, excepting perhaps in those dreams.

Those memories.

“God, it’s so easy to make you mad…” he continued, his tone then softening up as he gently put an arm around her “Come on, you know I’m just kidding, right?”

Makiko curled up, looking away again.

“You’re a jerk…” she muttered “Now I’m not gonna tell you what I was thinking about…”

“Aw, what?” he replied “But I really wanted to know!”

“Too bad…” she sighed, closing her eyes.

Trying to get drowsy.

Failing.

“But I…” continued Kaneda “I told you first, come on! It’s not fair!”

“Life’s not fair.” stated Makiko, curling up even more “Maybe you should have been nicer…”

And then Kaneda fell silent.

But only for a moment.

A prolonged, thoughtful moment.

“Okay, you’re right… I should have…”

Then Makiko opened her eyes.

“I’m sorry…” continued Kaneda, as she looked back at him “You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to…”

“Kaneda…”

Then he shifted again, to now fully face Kai.

And, by extension, the wall.

“I don’t even know _why_ you’d be still talking to me, after what I did… after what happened…”

Makiko kept looking at him, or rather at his back.

“Because…” she mused “I’m just that stupid… I guess…”

Kaneda scoffed.

“That makes two of us…”

And then she couldn’t help tearing up.

Yet again.

What a bad habit.

“I don’t care if you’re a jerk though…” she muttered “You’re still… my best friend, Kaneda… you’ll always be…”

But, unfortunately, she couldn’t tell whether Kaneda heard it or not.

“Kaneda…?”

Because he stopped replying.


	22. Even more Idle Chatter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuoverse. Kai's on babysitting duty with all these youngsters.

“…and then Fumizuki pulls a leap of faith! Like, a _literal_ leap of faith!” exclaimed Azuma “From one side of the wrecked bridge to the other! Like _whooosh_!”

“Holy shit!” exclaimed Kai “And he made it unscathed?”

“Totally unscathed!” confirmed Azuma “And the cops couldn’t get him! It was so cool…”

“Why are you still talking about Fumizuki? Isn’t he an asshole?” intervened Takeo.

Azuma turned to him, and sighed heavily.

“Yeah, he is…” he replied, to then throw his hands up “But his bike is so cool! It’s got neon lights all over it!”

“And he sounds like he knows some cool tricks too.” commented Kai, as he proceeded to open his well-deserved can of beer, after managing to fix that one engine he had been working so hard on.

“Oh, that’s nothing.” shrugged Azuma “I could own him with my eyes closed, it’s just that I wouldn’t look as cool… and, you know, everything’s all about looks nowadays…”

“Is that so?” inquired Kai, rather sarcastically since everything had _always_ been all about looks, and that was why Kaneda would always get most of the attention.

Which honestly had never bothered him. He had never been there to show off anyway.

“Then there’s only one thing you can do…” intervened, once again, Takeo.

Both Azuma and Kai turned this time, as he took and brandished a discarded pipe from a corner.

Kai couldn’t help chuckling at the hitting gesture the child was now making, in order to get the point further across.

“Oh my _fuck_ …” replied Azuma, seemingly appalled at first, but then smirking “Takeo, you’re a _fucking_ genius…”

“You’re gonna break his bike? Seriously?” intervened Makiko, suddenly standing next to Kai.

“Hello, Makiko.” he greeted, nonchalantly, to then take another sip of beer.

“Well yeah, he’s an asshole.” replied Takeo, still fiddling around with the pipe “And his bike is _too_ cool and he knows it. He’s taunting us, he’s asking us to break it.”

“Wait, _what_!? Where did she… _When_ …!? For _how long_ has she…!?” babbled Azuma in the background, while looking in all directions.

“Well, that’s dumb. He’s dumb. You should just ignore him.” said Makiko, and Takeo scoffed.

“You’re too little to know what we’re talking about.” he said, even though he was just a few years older than her.

Makiko blinked in a slightly unimpressed manner, and turned to Kai.

“Hello, Kai… Where’s Kaneda?” she inquired, to then show him the bento box she had brought with her “He left his lunch at home…”

“ _Again_? My god, what a scatterbrain…” he replied, shaking his head “Kei called us to let us know she’d be at an emergency meeting and that it could take all day, so of course he dashed after her…”

Makiko frowned, and clutched the box against her chest with concern. An emergency meeting was never a good sign. Something was about to happen.

“I see…” she muttered, looking down.

“Hey, it’s okay!” chimed Azuma, leaning in and reaching out “I’m starving so I can have that!”

“No, you can’t, you brute!” scolded Takeo, smacking him with the pipe “Don’t you see? She put that together for Kaneda especially! You can’t just take other people’s wife lunches like that!”

“I-I’m _not_ his wife!” jolted Makiko, already blushing.

“But you like him _that way_ , don’t you?” replied Takeo, then shrugging “Same thing.”

“No, I actually… I actually don’t…” mumbled Makiko, still blushing.

“You’re blushing though!” snickered Azuma, still rubbing his side, where Takeo hit him “So more like you totally do!”

“Come on, guys, that’s fucked up of you.” intervened Kai, approaching to put a protective hand on the girl’s shoulder “Makiko made lunch for me too, she always makes lunch for everyone because she’s a good friend. And that’s about it.”

“Sounds like she has fun making lunch, huh?” stated Azuma, smirking again and crossing his arms “Maybe she should make lunch for us too then, since we come every day. It’s only fair!”

“But you _don’t_ pay me every day…” muttered Kai, looking away and sweatdropping as his smile turned sour.

“I only make lunch for people who aren’t jerks.” pouted Makiko, promptly putting the box back into its bag.

“Which doesn’t explain why you keep making them for Kaneda.” remarked Takeo, making her jolt again.

“Because he _sucks_!” she exclaimed, irritatedly “He sucks at making his own lunch so I do it for him because I feel bad for him! He’s an _idiot_!”

Then Kai sighed, and nodded solemnly.

“He sure is.” he said.

“Whoa…” observed Azuma, scratching his head “I wish someone felt _that_ bad for me…”

“Getting a bit feisty, aren’t we?” observed Takeo, _still_ fiddling with the pipe “Do you wanna smash Fumizuki’s bike with us?”

“Dude, what the _fuck_!” replied Azuma, glancing back at him “She’s like six!”

“Nine.” corrected Kai, raising a finger “But I agree, and I refuse.”

“I’m just joking, like she could actually smash anything.” clarified Takeo “This is not kids’ stuff.”

Once again disregarding the fact that he was still a kid himself.

“I would have said no anyway.” scowled Makiko “You’re gonna get in trouble…”

And she _could_.

She actually _could_ smash several things with ease, but there was no need of proving it.

They weren’t worth it.

“Honestly…” assented Kai “Why don’t you just go for some healthy competition and one-up him instead?”

“You mean like…” replied Azuma “Getting some neon lights for my bike?”

“Or other stuff that could make it look better than his.” added Kai, to then take yet another sip of beer.

“It’d cost a lot of money though.” frowned Takeo “Money we don’t have…”

“Too bad then.” replied Makiko, still upset at them, but Kai smirked.

“Well, you could either work and get it, or just steal the stuff.” he said.

“Oh _no_ , I know what he’s doing!” exclaimed Azuma “He’s persuading us to work for him!”

“What, don’t you wanna steal?” inquired Makiko, smirking a little herself “You’re okay with breaking other people’s things but stealing them is too much?”

“It just takes a lot of effort and it’s not even as fun as smashing.” remarked Takeo “But working isn’t fun either…”

“Looks like you’re gonna have to make a tough decision!” jeered Kai.

And for a moment they seemed to actually ponder about it.

“…Where did Kaneda go anyway?” inquired Azuma.

“Yeah, what did you mean with ‘emergency meeting’?” added Takeo.

And so, they changed the subject.


	23. Makiko gets into Gambling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuoverse. More kids stuff. I still love Takeo.

“Okay, I’m ready.” confirmed Makiko.

Takeo sighed, and once again pointed at one of the cards that had been placed on the table, face down.

“This one.”

Makiko glanced at it, and nodded convincedly.

“Seven of spades.” she said.

Then he once again turned it over and once again showed it to her, so she could smile and cheer.

“Yay! I guessed!”

Once again.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah…” he replied, shrugging “You sure did, whatever. I’m tired of this. Let’s play another game.”

“Aw, but it’s so fun!” objected Makiko, as he began gathering the cards into a stack.

“Of course it is, for _you_ , because you keep winning.” he said “And it’s not like I’m mad, I’m just bored. I like it more when things are even, you know? Then it’s a bit more interesting.”

“Is that so?” inquired Makiko, somewhat sardonically, as he then proceeded to idly shuffle the cards “Well, what other games do you know?”

“Hmm…” pondered Takeo, holding her slightly cheeky gaze and giving her an even cheekier one in return “Ever heard of poker?”

“ _Whoa!_ ” interrupted Kaneda, leaning in from the kitchen “No, no, no! I don’t think so! There will be _no_ gambling in this house!”

“Gambling?” blinked Makiko, her face lighting up “That sounds fun!”

“No, it doesn’t!” replied Kaneda, and Takeo scoffed.

“Really, pops?” he said, putting the cards back on the table “You guys have beer and smokes all day but gambling is not okay?”

“Throw your own money away for kicks if you want, _child_ , but don’t you dare dragging Makiko into it!” scowled Kaneda “Because she has no money! So whose money do you think she’ll take to pay for her losses?”

“I _wouldn’t_ lose though.” intervened Makiko, rather nonchalantly.

“Oh, wouldn’t you?” jeered Takeo, as Kaneda just gave her a mildly disapproving look.

“I mean, gambling is about being lucky, isn’t it?” she continued, now smiling adorably “And I’m _very_ lucky!”

“You’d need more than just that in poker though.” replied Takeo, crossing his arms almost solemnly “It takes a lot of skill too… In fact, maybe it’s a little too much for you!”

“Yeah, maybe…” assented Kaneda “Maybe you should just watch TV or something…”

But Makiko was already gleaming with excitement.

“I wanna play!” she beamed “Tell me how to play!”

“You’re gonna lose, Makiko!” objected Kaneda “Didn’t you see the way he was shuffling? This kid _isn’t_ fucking around, he’s not gonna go soft on you just because you’re learning!”

“Hmmm…” pondered Takeo, tapping his chin “I don’t know, _maybe_ I’ll make an exception this time because you’re a girl…”

“Oh no!” replied Makiko, shaking her head “Please _destroy_ me! The more you lose, the more you learn, right?”

“That’s some nice attitude you have, now I won’t feel bad about destroying you.” smirked Takeo, as Kaneda sighed resignedly.

“Okay, fine. Gamble away.” he said, going back towards the fridge “Just leave money out, bet some… nice random things you have instead, like… I don’t know, marbles…”

“Alright!” replied Makiko, as Takeo leaned forward to whisper to her.

“I have a 100 yen coin, don’t cry when you lose and it’s yours.” he said.

Makiko frowned determinedly.

“ _Deal_.”


	24. Another Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuoverse. Makiko gets another visit from the same guy.

“What do you want?”

Makiko flinched, and stepped back.

His tone was still sharp. Sharp and bitter.

She almost apologized, but then tried to smile instead.

“Um… hello, Tetsuo…” she muttered, taking notice of the way he rushed to cover himself with that bright red cape of his.

But there was no use.

She could tell.

She could tell that his bare chest was full of cracks as well, as if his entire skin was breaking, because she had already seen some of them across his neck, and across his face…

“I was just wondering…” she continued, fiddling with her hands, hearing him sigh tiredly in advance “…How are you?”

And then taking him by surprise.

So much that he actually turned to look at her, although his expression wasn’t a precisely surprised one.

But she still could tell.

“Peachy.” he replied.

In a blatantly scornful manner.

To which Makiko responded with a blatantly concerned frown, as she proceeded to approach.

Tetsuo was scary. Tetsuo was really scary, but he was also really sad.

And there wasn’t anybody else around. There wasn’t anybody else who could help him, other than herself.

So she approached, and gingerly sat next to him.

“Do you like heights?” she asked, since that was indeed the top of a pretty tall structure.

Tetsuo turned back to the sky.

It was nighttime. It had never been nighttime before.

“You shouldn’t be up here.” he said, ignoring her question “You shouldn’t keep pushing it.”

Then Makiko frowned a bit more offendedly.

“I _didn’t_ push it.” she replied, crossing her arms “I appeared already here. Maybe I was thinking about how much I wanted to reach you when I fell asleep…”

Because she had already seen him, perching in the distance. Watching her in the distance. And she had given him space, but she just couldn’t do it anymore.

There wasn’t anybody else around.

“Just to ask how I’m doing?” inquired Tetsuo, still scornfully “Well, I already answered, so you can go back down.”

“It’s not just that though…” persisted Makiko, resting her hands on her lap, tilting her head to meet his pained gaze “You’ve been here for a while now… Did you… Did you _move_ here?”

But he was still looking away, staring at the sky.

Glimmering somewhat uneasily.

“Tetsuo…?”

And it was then that Makiko turned herself, and saw it.

The moon.

He was actually staring at the moon.

“I _had_ to.” he replied.

And she could only blink quizzically at such sight.

There had never been a moon before.

“Why?” she asked “What made you…?”

“It’s my responsibility.”

“You mean… _me_ …?”

Then both turned back to each other.

“Yes, you…” mused Tetsuo, now less scornfully, but still sharply “I have to keep an eye on you.”

And that unnerved Makiko a little, that shook Makiko’s hair and clothes a little, but not enough for her to forget the original intent of the conversation.

“So you _are_ gonna stick around…” she said, beginning to smile again “Then you shouldn’t sulk away, all by yourself! I mean, is my company really that bad?”

“I just like being alone more.” stated Tetsuo, and she promptly frowned again.

“No, you _don’t_.” she replied “You hate it. You wish you had someone to talk to. You miss your friends…”

Taking him by surprise.

Once again.

But it was more visible this time.

It was more indignant this time.

“ _You_ …”

“I can feel it.” continued Makiko, putting a hand on her chest “I can feel it all. I’m close enough, and it’s… so sad…”

A tear came out and slid down her cheek as Tetsuo stood up, so abruptly that his cape hovered behind him for a second.

As if startled.

“Tetsuo…” continued Makiko “Tetsuo, how did you… turn into _this_? What happened to you?”

Tetsuo looked away again, back at the moon.

The ever shining moon.

“You _will_ know…” he muttered “One day…”

“I want to know _now_.” persisted Makiko, trying to sound demanding.

Then Tetsuo scoffed.

As if reminded of something.

And it was kind of remarkable, kind of an interesting break from the cold facade.

“If you really want to help me then you’ll have to wait.” he replied, looking back at her “I _won’t_ say it again, _stop_ pushing things.”

Makiko pouted and curled up, arms around her tucked legs.

“You want to help as many people as possible, as soon as possible.” continued Tetsuo “Because you think that’ll make up for what you did to your mother, and all those poor saps who couldn’t make it out of the building. You want to feel better with yourself, or at least forget.”

And then almost smirked at the predicted gasp he got in response.

“I can feel it too.” he confirmed, as Makiko jolted up “Always have. I just didn’t think _you could_ …”

“It must go both ways!” she exclaimed, now with both hands on both cheeks “We’re like soulmates!”

“…………….”

Tetsuo frowned, and let out a _very_ tired sigh.

“But you’re wrong…” she added, now returning to the serious tone “It’s not like that… I don’t really care that much about myself…”

Tetsuo paused to observe her for a moment.

Glimmering somewhat pityingly.

“Maybe…” he said “Maybe you don’t…”

To then take a last look at the moon.

The ever present moon.


	25. High-Spirited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuoverse. Very short but lighthearted scene.

“I’m not sure about this…” said Kai, crossing his arms at the quiet, yet visible enthusiasm with which Makiko was putting her little helmet on.

“Come on, man, you know I’m gonna be careful!” replied Kaneda, as she secured her yellow backpack and scooted over.

“I know, I know…” nodded Kai “It’s not you, it’s just… Maybe we should have gotten a sidecar…”

“It’s gonna be alright, I promise.” continued Kaneda, almost radiating conviction “Pillioning isn’t really that bad, I mean, look at Takeo! He does it all the time and he doesn’t have a scratch!”

“He _does_ have some scratches though…” remarked Makiko, with a hand on her chin, and making Kaneda chuckle lightly.

“Not from pillioning though, I recognize that kind of scars when I see them!” he replied, to then give the little helmet a few playful taps “And he doesn’t even wear one of these… and it’s _Azuma’s_ riding skills we’re talking about, so yeah, honestly… if none of that is enough proof of how it should be alright, then I don’t know what!”

And Kai couldn’t help chuckling himself.

Kaneda hadn’t been this high-spirited in such a long while. It was surprising, but also welcomed.

Mostly welcomed.

“Okay, if you say so…” he sighed, as Kaneda adjusted his own helmet “Guess I’ll have to count on you.”

“Isn’t that how you made it this far anyway?” he smirked, only to get gently smacked in response.

“Get out of here before I change my mind, asshole.” concluded Kai, in that jokingly but also a bit seriously manner of his.

As usual.

“You know you love me…” continued Kaneda, proceeding to get on his bike and start it so they could finally depart “Say goodbye, Makiko!”

“Goodbye!” beamed Makiko, waving while taking her seat behind him, and successfully melting Kai’s heart as he waved back.

“Have a great day at school!” he replied, watching them pick up speed and disappear into the bustling city.

Come to think of it, both of them were looking pretty high-spirited.

And that was definitely welcomed.


	26. Lunchtime Dissociation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuoverse. Makiko wants some answers.

“What’s the matter?” asked Kei, as soon as she noticed Makiko’s dull stare into her bowl of instant noodles.

And that she hadn’t touched them.

And that she had probably been like that for a while.

Barely moving.

Barely feeling like she was truly there.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t have time to make anything else…” continued Kei, now approaching.

And the sound of her voice and her footsteps seemed to be enough to bring Makiko back, to make her blink and glance back at her.

“Hm…?” she muttered, to then properly process the message “Oh no, it’s okay! It’s okay…”

Kei raised an intrigued eyebrow, and gently sat next to her.

“Are you sure?” she inquired “Isn’t there anything you’d like to talk about?”

Makiko grabbed the chopsticks, fiddled around. Pondered.

Shook her head.

“I was just… thinking about school…” she lied.

Now focusing on a sudden ripple, spreading across the broth.

Taking a few noodles.

“How’s it been going so far?” humored Kei, watching her eat idly.

Makiko shrugged.

“Good, I guess…”

Then another ripple appeared.

And then another.

And then _another_.

Makiko kept eating.

Makiko kept eating because she didn’t want Kei to worry.

“Have you made any friends yet?” she asked.

Makiko tilted her head.

Blinked.

Pupils slightly dilated.

She could see her mother’s face.

She could see her mother’s face on the broth.

“I think…?” she replied “I think I made one…”

She could see her mother clasping her hands together, looking upwards, whispering words that made no sense at the time.

_“…please save us, Lord Akira…”_

“Is that so?” said Kei, smiling a little “What’s their name?”

Makiko hesitated.

Now she was seeing the news from back when she was taken in.

_“…already forty-one years since the detonation of Akira…”_

“Uh, Hisako…” she replied, to then eat some more noodles.

Kei kept watching intently.

“I see…”

Something was obviously off.

Something was obviously off and Makiko didn’t want to talk about it.

Kei could only wonder.

“…What about your dreams? How’s that been going? Do you still get those past life memories…?”

Kei could only try.

“Um…”

Makiko blinked, yet again.

Looked back at her, yet again.

“Sometimes…” she replied “But it’s okay, I got used to it.”

Kei frowned a little, in that concerned manner.

“Is it?” she insisted “Is it, really? Isn’t it bothering you? Isn’t it… _harming_ you in any way?”

Makiko seemed to pause for a moment before answering.

“Kaneda… Kaneda used to be kind of a jerk, you know?” she said, actually not answering “He was a jerk to his friends… maybe that’s why…”

Then Kei tilted her head.

“That’s why…?”

Makiko leaned forward, still looking at her.

Intently.

“Why he saved me. Why he’s so nice to me.” she clarified, in a bit of a somber tone “Maybe he wants to make up for those things, those things from the past. Maybe he wants to feel better with himself.”

Kei squinted.

“Maybe…” she replied, rather doubtfully “But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about you.”

“I guess…” concluded Makiko, expressing her own doubts.

She was now rehearing a passing thought she had caught from Kei once.

_“…still here, Akira… Akira might be still here…”_

“Makiko…” began Kei, leaning forward herself…

“Doesn’t it look like the moon is following you sometimes?”

…and then getting interrupted.

“Following…?”

And thrown completely off guard.

“Yes! Like it’s always there!” continued Makiko, suddenly sounding like an actual child “I mean, you can always see it, from anywhere… always there… like it’s watching…”

“You _can_ , yes…” replied Kei, justifiably baffled, as the child rested her chin on a hand.

“Do you think… it’d like watching us?” she asked.

“ _Makiko_ …” reiterated Kei, only to get interrupted again.

“ _Do you think it’d like watching us?_ ” reiterated, in turn, Makiko.

“I don’t know.” stated Kei, almost sharply “Hopefully it would.”

Then Makiko smiled.

“Hopefully!”

And finished the noodles, as Kei kept scrutinizing her, wondering.

The image then froze and vanished from the glass of milk, as the voices of the other children faded back in.

Makiko blinked, and found herself back in the classroom.

“Hey…” she muttered, still a little absently “Hey, Hisako…”

Hisako turned, upon having some rice from her tray.

“Nh? What is it, Makiko?”

And she couldn’t help a mildly confused tone, because Makiko had been like that for a while.

Barely moving.

Barely feeling like she was truly there.

But now she was looking at the veggies, on her respective tray. Fiddling with them. Pondering.

“You know about… Akira, don’t you…?”


	27. Chalk and Gods and Puppets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuoverse. Makiko gets to know both Hisako and Akira better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hisako belongs to cmrnfry on Tumblr and I love her too.

Makiko wasn’t feeling very creative that day, so she just drew flowers.

There were some pink ones, some orange ones, and a single yellow one.

“They’re pretty.” smiled Hisako.

Makiko smiled back, and leaned over to look at what she had been drawing.

It was the familiar image of a furious boy with spiky hair and a red cape.

Makiko’s eyes widened.

“Who’s that…?” she asked, as Hisako kept adding more red around him.

“It’s Lord Akira.” she replied, somewhat nonchalantly “Mister Uchida has a picture of Him, and sometimes it shows on TV. I like it.”

Makiko frowned, but only for a second.

Thoughtfully. Almost confusedly.

“Doesn’t it scare you?” she inquired.

Hisako shrugged lightly.

“Maybe? Maybe a little…” she replied “But it’s okay, He only gets… mad at sinners…”

“Right…”

Makiko frowned again, this time for a bit longer. Hisako kept coloring.

There were several other drawings across the pavement. Drawings of trees, of snails, of cats and dogs, of Kaneda on his bike, of Kei and Kai doing a silly dance…

This was Hisako’s first contribution to the art pile, after Makiko noticed the way she would always watch her draw and figured she could lend her some chalk.

And she knew Hisako would come up with some Akira related thing, she just didn’t expect _that_ thing in particular.

“Is that why he’s so angry?” she continued, after a considerable pause “Because there’s a lot of sinners?”

Then Hisako stopped coloring.

She was almost done anyway.

“I think so.” she replied, turning back to Makiko “And because they locked Him up underground too, maybe…”

“ _Underground?_ ” blinked Makiko, eyes widening again, even more than before “You mean he was buried alive?”

“I think so…?” repeated Hisako, squinting “I think He was dead, but not really…”

It was hard to explain. _Very_ hard. She wished she could understand, she wished she could find the proper words, especially now that Makiko was so suddenly interested.

“Like a ghost?”

“No, no…” fumbled Hisako “It’s like… He just left His mortal body…”

“Because he was turning into a god?” guessed Makiko, tilting her head.

Genuinely interested. Genuinely intrigued.

“He was turning into a god, yes!” beamed Hisako, then seemingly hesitating “And gods don’t… fit into mortal bodies, right?”

“I don’t think they do…” mused Makiko.

“But some people didn’t like that.” continued Hisako, gradually gaining some confidence “So they locked Him up to stop Him. But He didn’t like that.”

“And what did he do?” asked Makiko, leaning forward.

“Well, uh… He used His god powers…” continued Hisako, then trailing off.

“And…?” prompted Makiko, eagerly “Did he break out?”

“I just don’t get it!” exclaimed Hisako, to then point at her drawing “This is… Mister Uchida says this is Lord Akira’s _puppet_.”

Makiko frowned, yet again.

Eyes widened, yet again.

“ _Puppet?_ ”

“Mmhm?” continued Hisako, going back to the bewilderment “He got a puppet and used it… to free Himself? Like, like it _was_ Him but it was not… His body?”

“You mean he possessed someone?” inquired Makiko, and now Hisako was tilting her head.

“Possess…?”

“Yes, possessing. It’s when a ghost, or a demon… or a god enters your body and uses it like it’s theirs, without your permission.” clarified Makiko.

Hisako gasped.

“Oh no!” she said, raising her hands in some sort of defensive gesture “I’m sure Lord Akira asked before doing it!”

“If you say so…” sighed Makiko, crossing her arms.

“Trust me, He’s good.” persisted Hisako, now clasping her hands “He only wants the best for all of us…”

But Makiko couldn’t help it.

Makiko couldn’t help that mildly unsettled expression.

“So he borrowed someone else’s body to break himself out…” she summarized “And then, once he got out, he turned into a god for good?”

“Yes, yes.” nodded Hisako, proceeding to resume the coloring “And now He can save us, all of us. Everything will be alright.”

But that only unsettled Makiko more.

She reached into her overalls’ pocket and grabbed the M&Ms she had bought with Kaneda earlier.

“What are you doing?” inquired Hisako, upon eventually finishing the drawing and catching her pouring a bunch on her hand “Makiko… Makiko, please…”

“Do you want some?” offered Makiko, holding said hand out after eating a couple herself.

“You know I can’t…” frowned Hisako “And neither should you…”

Makiko shrugged.

“I already did a lot of bad things anyway, no saving for me.” she said, then approaching “But you’re fine, so I’m sure Akira’s going to forgive you for this. Come on, just take one!”

“Don’t say that!” yelped Hisako, hastily taking her hands and spilling the remaining M&Ms in the process “You’re fine too, I promise!”

“I’m just saying…” continued Makiko, smiling a little awkwardly “…that I don’t know how candy can be so sinful? It’s only bad for you if you have too much, and I’ve never had too much… and I brush my teeth every day!”

Hisako looked down, somewhat dejectedly.

“I just… I don’t want any, thank you…” she mumbled, and Makiko decided to put them back into her pocket, to stop upsetting her.

“It’s kinda weird though…” she said, after another considerable pause, and slowly raising her head towards the sky.

“Hm? What is…?” inquired Hisako, turning back to her and then in that same direction.

“If Akira’s so important…” continued Makiko “Why don’t they use his… true face? Why is it a picture of his puppet?”

“I… don’t know…” replied Hisako, blinking in visible realization “I guess because Mister Uchida likes it a lot?”

“Well, that’d be definitely weird…” stated Makiko.

And Hisako _really_ wanted to object, but she couldn’t. It _was_ weird.

So she just kept staring at the sky. Both kept staring at the sky.

It wasn’t dark yet, but they could already see the moon.


	28. Sakaki Strikes Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuoverse. Also some rambling about the Power.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep in mind that this is still the movie continuity, so what's being said about Miyako here stems entirely from speculation concerning her movie counterpart.

“Neo-Tokyo used to be our home… I should have expected it to come back to us someday, somehow…”

The water was already hot enough. Kei got up to retrieve the kettle.

Sakaki focused on her beads for a moment.

“Coincidences are actually rarer than it seems.” she continued “Most of the time things happen for a reason.”

“I can agree with that.” replied Kei, as she proceeded to serve the tea.

Maybe having a cup of tea for once would help her. It certainly had been helping Makiko to some degree.

“The child…” said Sakaki, now looking at her and seemingly sensing her thoughts “How is the child?”

“She’s fine.” replied Kei, upon taking the first sip “She went for a walk with Kaneda, I think they’re getting some candy.”

“Her friend.” said Sakaki, upon taking the first sip herself.

“Her friend, yes…” confirmed Kei “Nothing makes her feel safer than being with him.”

Sakaki tilted her head, somewhat pensively.

“I see… So there hasn’t been any other altercation?”

“None at all. Makiko’s a good girl.”

Then she took another sip.

“But such an anomaly…” she seemed to add, and Kei narrowed her eyes.

“What do you even mean with that?”

She had already heard it before, and she had disregarded it, because it had been mentioned so offhandedly that it didn’t seem to be important.

But apparently it was.

“Her power. Its composition, its capability.” explained Sakaki “It can’t possibly develop at such rate and in such way, at least not naturally. It’s oddly formed. Irregular.”

“Like a mutation?”

Then she blinked, in implied realization.

Now Kei was taking another sip.

“I think something might have gone wrong with the… transmigration.” she continued “And that could have caused both that power and _those_ memories.”

But she didn’t just think. She was sure at this point. She was positive.

“I think so too…” replied Sakaki “It _should_ be pure, but it feels like… a mutated purity indeed…”

“Pure?” inquired Kei, mostly to corroborate.

“Untouched.” clarified Sakaki “Our mentor, Lady Miyako… She believed in the power in its purest state. She believed it was meant to grow and flow by itself, without any detrimental stimulants.”

Kei frowned.

She was familiar with that name. She was familiar with that woman. She had seen her, partaking in some protests, preaching in the streets.

Raving about Lord Akira.

“Lord Akira was a mistake.” continued Sakaki, once again sensing her thoughts “A force that shouldn’t have been tampered with. But those who yearn to discover, those who yearn to harness… They never care…”

Kei was already recalling the images of the children on operating tables, letting them pass by.

Frowning more sharply.

Even Tetsuo himself had been a victim in the end…

“That’s what Lady Miyako told us, what Lady Miyako would remind us every day.” continued Sakaki “And she was so convinced of it, as if she knew something others didn’t… Sometimes I wish I asked her more about him.”

But did she know?

Did she _truly_ know? Or was that just an eerily accurate statement?

Kei could only wonder.

“But anyway…” continued Sakaki “It’s a tale of revenge. It has always been a tale of revenge, of retribution. Lord Akira was a monster wanting to punish his creators. The city filled him with despair and resentment, just like it did with Lady Miyako…”

“So that’s why she worshipped him.” figured Kei.

“She encouraged it.” stated Sakaki, upon taking a more solemn sip “She encouraged his wrath.”

“Must have been hard to deal with for you three, since you were so young back then…” sighed Kei, and Sakaki clasped her hands and looked down.

“It might have been the best for her, to leave this realm.” she said “It did hurt at first, but… after thinking about how sick of all the corruption she was…”

“I understand.” replied Kei.

It was still pretty sad, however. The fact that so many terrible deaths had taken place, that so many people would never witness Neo-Tokyo’s definitive recovery.

The fact that maybe Kei herself would never witness Neo-Tokyo’s definitive recovery.

It was pretty damn sad.

“And that’s why I came.” said Sakaki, all of a sudden “Makiko said that she wanted to stay with you, because she admires you. She admires your willingness to strive despite everything, to make things better. And she wants to be part of it…”

She was looking back at Kei, and smiling slightly.

Warmly.

“I guess that motivated me.” she concluded “Even though she’s no longer with us, if I can do some good for Lady Miyako…”

“I’m sure you can.” replied Kei, with as much confidence as she could manage.

Which was actually a lot.

“I want to help Makiko too.” added Sakaki “I would never doubt her endurance, but…”

“I know.” replied Kei, nodding in agreement “It’s a complicated condition, hers… but I’m sure we can help her. I’m sure it’s nothing too serious.”

And again with as much confidence as she could manage, which was still a lot.

Maybe she actually could…

No, she _was going to_.

She _was going to_ witness Neo-Tokyo’s definitive recovery.


	29. Kaneda's Onto Something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuoverse. He's not that stupid.

“Hey, Kei…” began Kaneda, to then pause and wait.

Kei was returning to the table with their cappuccinos and raising her eyebrows at him, beckoning him to go on.

“…What do you think of coincidences?”

It was still snowing outside.

“I mean, do you think they exist?” continued Kaneda, receiving his cup “Or do you think everything’s like… meant to happen?”

And then he couldn’t help smiling a little goofily at the marshmallows she had actually added in this time. He wasn’t being completely serious when he suggested it but, damn, wasn’t it nice to see them anyway.

“I’m not sure…” answered Kei, looking at him rather quizzically as she stirred her cup “I want to say everything _might_ be meant to happen, but…”

“But it’d be scary, wouldn’t it?” interrupted Kaneda “To think that maybe you’re not always in control of what you do, of where you want to go… of what the bigger picture is…”

Kei nodded, while taking a brief sip.

“Most of the outcomes we call coincidences are those that are beyond our reach, after all…” she mused, the quizzical expression then becoming more pronounced “Why? Is there anything troubling you?”

“Oh no, I’ve just been… reflecting, you know…” replied Kaneda, still smiling.

Taking a sip himself.

“About Makiko?”

Then the smile broadened.

“What gave it away?”

Kei shrugged lightly.

“I just guessed.” she said “It just felt like she’d bring that kind of subject up.”

“Well yeah, she did. Or rather sorta hinted at it.” confirmed Kaneda, to then take a longer sip.

“Really? What did she say?” inquired Kei.

Making his features shift into the more dreaded smirk.

“Nothing you guys haven’t already discussed, I bet.” he said, pointing at her in some teasingly accusing manner “You’re both psychic and I’m not _that_ stupid. And Akira’s pulling her strings or something.”

“ _Akira?_ ” blinked Kei, eyes widening “Is that what she said?”

“No, but it’s what everyone’s raving about nowadays, isn’t it?” continued Kaneda “And I mean, maybe it’s true… maybe he’s still out there playing God, doing things… things like leading me to where Makiko is, wanting me to find her…”

Kei blinked again, now more collectedly.

“So _that’s_ what you’re getting at…”

And it was inevitable, really.

Kaneda certainly wasn’t that stupid. She knew he would figure it out sooner or later. Hell, maybe Kai had already figured it out by himself.

There was nothing coincidental about Makiko.

Absolutely nothing.

“Do you still remember what you said that one time?” continued Kaneda, after taking another longer sip “What you said about… stored energy and memories…?”

Of course she did.

“Of course I do…”

Granted, her mind was in a bit of a hazy state back when that exchange took place, but she still could retain most of it.

“Do you think there could be something… _they_ know about Makiko that we don’t?”

Then she blinked, yet again.

Kaneda was suddenly frowning, earnestly and pensively.

And Kei could only wonder if that was a genuine question or he was testing her to some degree, _pressing_ her to some degree.

Either way, no matter how much she wished she could just clear it all up for him, she wouldn’t.

Makiko clearly didn’t want that, and she believed to understand why.

“Kei…”

“Like _what_?”

Now Kaneda was blinking.

And Kei was taking a longer sip.


	30. Tetsuo worries Too Much

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And Kaneda doesn't get it.

“Would you come to my funeral?”

Kaneda stopped chewing the impressive mouthful of rice he had just taken and turned, eyes widened.

“… _Wha?_ ”

Tetsuo had been staring into space for a good while, but now he was looking back at him, eyes narrowed.

“My funeral.” he repeated, in a slightly patronizing manner “You _do_ know what those are, don’t you?”

Kaneda swallowed the rice with a bit of a frown, but then smirked.

“Of course I do, what with people dying left and right every day in this shithole of a city…” he replied, putting the bowl down “That’s just kind of a weird thing to ask, are you okay?”

And the way he had just inquired that denoted amusement, rather than concern.

It was confusing. Annoyingly confusing.

“You just said it yourself.” stated Tetsuo, deciding to not answer and simply shrug instead “People’s been dying every day, so I was just thinking…”

“Whoa, _dude_.” interrupted Kaneda, raising a hand “Stop. Stop right there. We’re not even _that old_ yet.”

And this time he did sound a little concerned.

“But you never know…” continued Tetsuo, eerily, staring back into space.

“Yeah well, sometimes not knowing is just better.” replied Kaneda, almost immediately, and crossing his arms to look more secure “I’d rather not think about it, and neither should you… like, _seriously_ , man, who the hell have you been talking to?”

Tetsuo shrugged again.

“Myself?”

“You mean like… reflecting?” squinted Kaneda “Questioning your existence? That meta shit?”

“I mean, if I died all of a sudden…” continued Tetsuo “Do you think it would make a difference?”

“A difference…?”

“Do you think… anyone would care about me not being around anymore?”

“ _Fucking hell, dude!_ ” exclaimed Kaneda, so abruptly that Tetsuo almost flinched “Of course I would! You’re my best friend, dude, what the _fuck_! And Kai, and Yama… They’re your friends too, all of us would care! All of us would be sad, _very_ sad!”

“Really…?” muttered Tetsuo, with a genuinely surprised tone, as he looked back at him.

“For fucking real.” grumbled Kaneda, reaching out to give him a light smack “You can be such an idiot sometimes…”

“Sorry…” replied Tetsuo, lowering his head, but with yet another hint of annoyance “I guess I just… had to make sure, is all…”

“Well, then _yes_. I would come to your funeral. Because you’re my best friend.” confirmed Kaneda, now patting his back with his still outstretched hand “But I’d rather not think about you dying. Because you’re my best friend.”

Tetsuo sighed.

“Fair enough…”

But it actually wasn’t.

It actually wasn’t very fair.

It was still confusing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even though this is one of the separate drabbles that have no connection with the tetsuoverse ones, I think it made a pretty climactic final one considering the others. Anyway, that's all for this year. Will I keep writing next year? Who knows. I hope you enjoyed all of this. Happy 2019!


End file.
